My weekend in Chicago
Okay, so since I am COMPLETELY exhausted, I am going to copy and paste from Mike's blog about our weekend...I will add my own thoughts later, and details about how I pulled off this major scheme, but for now he pretty much says it all! It was an unforgettable weekend, and I am SO glad that I was able to go!! :) Anyway, here is his post about our day in Chicago...he has other posts that you can read from his blog if you so desire.
(From the blog of Michael Podguski...used with permission! :))
"Sunday, February 15, 2004
Perfection?
If ever there was a perfect weekend, this was perhaps it. The perfect combination of friends, loved ones, and family. The perfect combination of relaxed chilling, upscale chic social gatherings, and doing things that were completely new in a city I have known since birth. Not to diss previous V-days... but they really pale in comparison to this one. Everyone knows the story of last year and the story leading up to this year's V-Day. And yet, in spite of all the good experiences I've had from friends and others in the past 4 years, this has been, by far, the biggest outpouring of support, love, and grace from friends and family I've had in the past 8 years. The cards, the calls, the emails, the fact that a woman flew over 2,000 miles just to spend Valentine's Day with ME, and the fact that I have an entire set of people around me in my life that went to such great lengths to make every minute detail of this weekend work (particularly Larry... that man busted his tail to help Lesa out on this end of things) means the world to me. Let's recap some of the highlights from this weekend, and from my date...
For the record, Saturday WAS A DATE, while at the same time we're still just REALLY GREAT friends (although I'll have to reconsider that, given her affection for NASCAR and tacit rejection of hockey :-) ).
So this Valentine's Day was perhaps one of the most romantic I have ever experienced, even though I was on a date with one my Closest [sic] friends. It was amazing... a completely different type of date and relationship than I have ever been used to... I mean, I guess it was a date according to all of the traditional classifications and conventions. Yet, it was totally no pressure because it was with such a Close friend [sic] (pun intended)... seriously, this was EXACTLY what I needed. We spent Friday night chilling on the North side up by Wrigleyville with all of the PSCI Elite... and got back really late that night (more like 2 or 3-ish Sat. morning). Of course we all chilled at nowhere but one of the coolest places in town... and we all had such a blast. Nothing but smiles the entire night.... Seriously... I just wanted to laugh and smile all the time, though I realized that I've been missing this for the past 3 years... and that means I have a lot of catching up to do... making up for wasted time.
Saturday, we went up to Chicago (just me and Lesa). We got up there and went to Navy Pier where we chilled out, marvelled at all the ice and snow (well, more like Lesa marvelled), and then ate lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern (while I explained the story behind it all... to a person who's NEVER seen the Saturday Night Live skit with Belushi and the crew). After that, we went back to the Mag Mile and walked up to Watertower Place, while stopping in Nike Town, the Sony store, and other stores along the way. We had a great time just chatting and window shopping along the way.
When we finally got to Watertower Place, we decided to do the observation deck on the top of the Hancock Building. That was AWESOME!!! Not only have I never done that, but it was probably a slightly better view of the city than that from the top of the Sears Tower. It was absolutely amazing. After chilling up there for a little over an hour (and getting the crowd waiting in line for the down elevator to roar with laughter after I pulled a humorous stunt with one of the little places where you can pose for a picture), we went down to ground level and sought nutrient sustenance. We dined at the Mitey Nice Grill... which served some very fine cuisine (most of the people there were dressed in tuxes and furs), while a 4 person vocal group serenaded classic songs ala Sinatra et. al. The lighting, fine leather seats, and gentle twinkling of Lesa's eyes as she smiled and looked down shyly... combined with the wonderful conversation (intellectual, spiritual, and humorous), generally uplifting positive atmosphere, and beautiful spirit that this friend possesses made this dinner one of the most memorable in a long time. Certainly, this was perhaps one of the best dates I had ever been on to that point. But then it got better.
Over dinner we had briefly made mention of our tastes in classical music, the generally world-class-surpassing goodness of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the excitement which we had about hearing the CSO play some awesome pieces that night. On the way to the CSO though, things started to get even better as the conversation continued to just go really well... and the excitement about CSO grew.
I've been fortunate enough to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform 6 or 7 times, but this was perhaps the BEST PERFORMANCE EVER. I mean... I've seen CSO do some pretty famous pieces, and some highly technical work. However, I gained an even greater love for the work of the CSO when they performed the Lieberson'shighly technical and masterfully vivid Red Garuda for piano and orchestra. Sir Andrew Davis did a particularly brilliant job with this piece (not too much to expect from the man who is the conductor laureate of the BBC Symphony Orchestra), but Peter Serkin truly stole this part of the show with his brilliant first-ever performance on piano with the CSO.
The concert opened with Stravinsky's Divertimento Suite from The Fairy's Kiss, then moved to the Lieberson piece, and concluded with the awe-inspiriing, crowd-pleasing Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 by none other than Beethoven. I have heard the piece played... I have played it (as a matter of fact, I brought the viola back this weekend with me)... but never in my life have I seen or heard it performed so wonderfully. I do not speak hyperbollically here when I say this: THIS WAS THE BEST PERRFORMANCE EVER BY THE CSO!!!!
During the concert, I definitely shared some very awesome moments with Lesa. It was cool to be at the concert with someone as into classical music as me... someone who's truly an afficianado... an elitist perhaps (in the musical sense). The whole day was totally awesome... the whole evening absolutely elegant, from the decor to the dress to the people. I've never seen the Symphony Center as packed out as it was Saturday... it was amazing and truly awesome. I just... I guess I am just realizing what a truly blessed person I am... because the last time I saw a show, it was at the Kennedy Center with the President and most of the Federal government... and it was a great show. Very upperclass chic.. and the CSO this time... definitely kicked butt in a black-tie sort of way. Being there with Lesa... observing the people and definitely dressing the parts ourselves... it was just like we were back in D.C. at the Kennedy Center... and yet, we were definitely in Chicago, having the times of our lives on an awesome date whose only flaw was that I didn't open the last card in time Thursday night just before Lesa surprised me by revealing that she had flown out for the weekend. We rubbed elbows with the cool people... and for a moment, we realized that this was just the beginning... that at some point, we'd definitely be doing a lot more like that night.
I was just... I dunno. It was amazing. Last night was absolutely amazing. And of course, I loved every minute of the train ride there and back... but definitely the ride back. I wanted that to last forever, though eventually University Park and Bourbonnais proved to be evil task masters. It was nice to be able to show my appreciation and platonic affection for Lesa like that. I just... oh my gosh... I just want to sigh so loud because of how awesome it all was. Absolutely amazing...
Today was a three state road trip. We started in Illinois, then drove to Indiana for a few hours, then spent some time up in Michigan. In a couple of days, I was able to knock three states off of Lesa's list... bringing her closer to visiting all 50 states. While we were up in Michigan, we were reminded of the little town in Maryland that we spent all day in on the retreat... and I remembered backpacking all over town that day on my own... how cool that felt.. and how I realized that I had mad that step to being truly independent and liberated in my education.
Tomorrow I will add all of the pictures into a separate gallery page on the website. Check back tomorrow for the link... especially to see pics of Lesa making out with the ONU Tiger (in front of McHie)... as well as me going for a ride on it. I picked up some good pics in Chicago yesterday, so that was cool. I am digging my digital with each day... especially with my new found Front Page prowess...
This whole weekend... chilling out with Lesa and talking face to face like old times makes me look even more forward to going to Los Angeles (as well as Bel Aire, Anaheim... and Disney Land, Malibu, Hollywood, Orange County, et al.) in just a little under three weeks. Particularly, I am looking forward to possibly getting into Disney Land (thanks to Lesa's network of friends), having a barbeque-off between me and Lesa ('ll DEFINITELY waste her), and hanging out at the beach "gathering / party / chill out time" with Lesa and all her friends. Already, all of them are looking forward to meeting me... having already called me "adorable" and the like.
Alright... I am off to bed. Back up again soon to take Lesa to the airport. I'll catch you all around."
That basically says it all! It was such an amazing weekend, and I can't wait until Mike comes to visit me! 19 days! :)
(From the blog of Michael Podguski...used with permission! :))
"Sunday, February 15, 2004
Perfection?
If ever there was a perfect weekend, this was perhaps it. The perfect combination of friends, loved ones, and family. The perfect combination of relaxed chilling, upscale chic social gatherings, and doing things that were completely new in a city I have known since birth. Not to diss previous V-days... but they really pale in comparison to this one. Everyone knows the story of last year and the story leading up to this year's V-Day. And yet, in spite of all the good experiences I've had from friends and others in the past 4 years, this has been, by far, the biggest outpouring of support, love, and grace from friends and family I've had in the past 8 years. The cards, the calls, the emails, the fact that a woman flew over 2,000 miles just to spend Valentine's Day with ME, and the fact that I have an entire set of people around me in my life that went to such great lengths to make every minute detail of this weekend work (particularly Larry... that man busted his tail to help Lesa out on this end of things) means the world to me. Let's recap some of the highlights from this weekend, and from my date...
For the record, Saturday WAS A DATE, while at the same time we're still just REALLY GREAT friends (although I'll have to reconsider that, given her affection for NASCAR and tacit rejection of hockey :-) ).
So this Valentine's Day was perhaps one of the most romantic I have ever experienced, even though I was on a date with one my Closest [sic] friends. It was amazing... a completely different type of date and relationship than I have ever been used to... I mean, I guess it was a date according to all of the traditional classifications and conventions. Yet, it was totally no pressure because it was with such a Close friend [sic] (pun intended)... seriously, this was EXACTLY what I needed. We spent Friday night chilling on the North side up by Wrigleyville with all of the PSCI Elite... and got back really late that night (more like 2 or 3-ish Sat. morning). Of course we all chilled at nowhere but one of the coolest places in town... and we all had such a blast. Nothing but smiles the entire night.... Seriously... I just wanted to laugh and smile all the time, though I realized that I've been missing this for the past 3 years... and that means I have a lot of catching up to do... making up for wasted time.
Saturday, we went up to Chicago (just me and Lesa). We got up there and went to Navy Pier where we chilled out, marvelled at all the ice and snow (well, more like Lesa marvelled), and then ate lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern (while I explained the story behind it all... to a person who's NEVER seen the Saturday Night Live skit with Belushi and the crew). After that, we went back to the Mag Mile and walked up to Watertower Place, while stopping in Nike Town, the Sony store, and other stores along the way. We had a great time just chatting and window shopping along the way.
When we finally got to Watertower Place, we decided to do the observation deck on the top of the Hancock Building. That was AWESOME!!! Not only have I never done that, but it was probably a slightly better view of the city than that from the top of the Sears Tower. It was absolutely amazing. After chilling up there for a little over an hour (and getting the crowd waiting in line for the down elevator to roar with laughter after I pulled a humorous stunt with one of the little places where you can pose for a picture), we went down to ground level and sought nutrient sustenance. We dined at the Mitey Nice Grill... which served some very fine cuisine (most of the people there were dressed in tuxes and furs), while a 4 person vocal group serenaded classic songs ala Sinatra et. al. The lighting, fine leather seats, and gentle twinkling of Lesa's eyes as she smiled and looked down shyly... combined with the wonderful conversation (intellectual, spiritual, and humorous), generally uplifting positive atmosphere, and beautiful spirit that this friend possesses made this dinner one of the most memorable in a long time. Certainly, this was perhaps one of the best dates I had ever been on to that point. But then it got better.
Over dinner we had briefly made mention of our tastes in classical music, the generally world-class-surpassing goodness of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the excitement which we had about hearing the CSO play some awesome pieces that night. On the way to the CSO though, things started to get even better as the conversation continued to just go really well... and the excitement about CSO grew.
I've been fortunate enough to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform 6 or 7 times, but this was perhaps the BEST PERFORMANCE EVER. I mean... I've seen CSO do some pretty famous pieces, and some highly technical work. However, I gained an even greater love for the work of the CSO when they performed the Lieberson'shighly technical and masterfully vivid Red Garuda for piano and orchestra. Sir Andrew Davis did a particularly brilliant job with this piece (not too much to expect from the man who is the conductor laureate of the BBC Symphony Orchestra), but Peter Serkin truly stole this part of the show with his brilliant first-ever performance on piano with the CSO.
The concert opened with Stravinsky's Divertimento Suite from The Fairy's Kiss, then moved to the Lieberson piece, and concluded with the awe-inspiriing, crowd-pleasing Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 by none other than Beethoven. I have heard the piece played... I have played it (as a matter of fact, I brought the viola back this weekend with me)... but never in my life have I seen or heard it performed so wonderfully. I do not speak hyperbollically here when I say this: THIS WAS THE BEST PERRFORMANCE EVER BY THE CSO!!!!
During the concert, I definitely shared some very awesome moments with Lesa. It was cool to be at the concert with someone as into classical music as me... someone who's truly an afficianado... an elitist perhaps (in the musical sense). The whole day was totally awesome... the whole evening absolutely elegant, from the decor to the dress to the people. I've never seen the Symphony Center as packed out as it was Saturday... it was amazing and truly awesome. I just... I guess I am just realizing what a truly blessed person I am... because the last time I saw a show, it was at the Kennedy Center with the President and most of the Federal government... and it was a great show. Very upperclass chic.. and the CSO this time... definitely kicked butt in a black-tie sort of way. Being there with Lesa... observing the people and definitely dressing the parts ourselves... it was just like we were back in D.C. at the Kennedy Center... and yet, we were definitely in Chicago, having the times of our lives on an awesome date whose only flaw was that I didn't open the last card in time Thursday night just before Lesa surprised me by revealing that she had flown out for the weekend. We rubbed elbows with the cool people... and for a moment, we realized that this was just the beginning... that at some point, we'd definitely be doing a lot more like that night.
I was just... I dunno. It was amazing. Last night was absolutely amazing. And of course, I loved every minute of the train ride there and back... but definitely the ride back. I wanted that to last forever, though eventually University Park and Bourbonnais proved to be evil task masters. It was nice to be able to show my appreciation and platonic affection for Lesa like that. I just... oh my gosh... I just want to sigh so loud because of how awesome it all was. Absolutely amazing...
Today was a three state road trip. We started in Illinois, then drove to Indiana for a few hours, then spent some time up in Michigan. In a couple of days, I was able to knock three states off of Lesa's list... bringing her closer to visiting all 50 states. While we were up in Michigan, we were reminded of the little town in Maryland that we spent all day in on the retreat... and I remembered backpacking all over town that day on my own... how cool that felt.. and how I realized that I had mad that step to being truly independent and liberated in my education.
Tomorrow I will add all of the pictures into a separate gallery page on the website. Check back tomorrow for the link... especially to see pics of Lesa making out with the ONU Tiger (in front of McHie)... as well as me going for a ride on it. I picked up some good pics in Chicago yesterday, so that was cool. I am digging my digital with each day... especially with my new found Front Page prowess...
This whole weekend... chilling out with Lesa and talking face to face like old times makes me look even more forward to going to Los Angeles (as well as Bel Aire, Anaheim... and Disney Land, Malibu, Hollywood, Orange County, et al.) in just a little under three weeks. Particularly, I am looking forward to possibly getting into Disney Land (thanks to Lesa's network of friends), having a barbeque-off between me and Lesa ('ll DEFINITELY waste her), and hanging out at the beach "gathering / party / chill out time" with Lesa and all her friends. Already, all of them are looking forward to meeting me... having already called me "adorable" and the like.
Alright... I am off to bed. Back up again soon to take Lesa to the airport. I'll catch you all around."
That basically says it all! It was such an amazing weekend, and I can't wait until Mike comes to visit me! 19 days! :)
posted by Lesa at 2/16/2004 11:57:00 AM
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