Notes from Chicago

• Perhaps the cleanest American city I have been to; also the friendliest (which tended to throw us hardened Easterners off track a bit)

• it was not windy, as it's nickname suggests
• many of the sidewalks are covered, which is very nice when it's raining (or snowing, I would imagine)

• The bean is quite possibly the coolest thing I have seen in a park.

• I still love museums. Especially the Field Museum, which is the Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Something about seeing Sue the T. Rex up close made me happy.
• People seem to have a lot less anger in Chicago. But the weather is worse. Go figure.
  
• the suburbs where we stayed had some of the largest houses I have ever seen
• if you can stay at a Doubletree hotel, you should. It was so nice. Free wireless, beautiful rooms, comfy beds. And a chocolate chip cookie when you check in!
• Wyndams are not nice hotels. Don't stay there.
• Prom is funny when you're not in high school.
• Getting your hair/makeup done while sitting on a toilet is also funny.
  
• I am convinced that my hair can do anything if enough bobby pins and hairspray is involved.
• Weddings are stressful, even if you are not the one getting married.
  
• The bridal party needs food at all times. Someone should get on that. Champagne on an empty stomach is not so good.
  
• Walking around a garden in high heels to get your pictures taken kinda sucks.
• A four hour "break" between the wedding and the reception is too long.

• Chicago deep dish style pizza is not very good. It mostly involves flaky crust, several pounds of cheese, and pizza sauce on top. Oh, and it takes a long time to cook.
• Hangovers are the worst things to have when you are staying in a hotel. Especially if you have to leave that day to get on a plane.
  
• Sometimes McDonald's Coke is the best Coke I've ever tasted. I think they put crack in it.
• Poor Alex became the "errand running boy" this wedding. I hope that doesn't happen again.
• I can now see the virtues of hiring a wedding planner and paying a little bit extra. That way, you don't have to worry about getting the party favors to the reception hall the day of the wedding.
• Flying while hungover also sucks. Don't do it. However, the flight from ORD to PHL is super short. Thank god for that.
• Belgian priests with Peruvian accents are probably not the best ones to perform a wedding ceremony. Nobody understood a word.
  
• Coming back to work is hard....