The Big 4-0

It was a great weekend and a wonderful way to turn 40! I took the train in to Chicago early Friday morning. I had some business meetings with my union and then I was able to spend some time getting caught up with friends in the Equity office. When I finally wore out my welcome there, I took the train up to Watertower place and wandered around the Borders and
the mall for a while.

Pete finished work, threw the puppies in the car and headed down to Chicago and we met at a little motel north of town where we got some take-out fried chicken and beer and watched the baseball game (Yankees/Tigers).

Saturday we spent a relaxing day sleeping in (something we haven't done in WEEKS!) and then watching the Cardinals/Padres game. This was a win-win situation since if the Cardinals won, we won the series, if we lost, we had tickets to the game on
Sunday in St. Louis. Well, the Cards lost (boo!) (but wait yeah!)

We took a long walk with the puppies in Lincoln Park and down to the lake, it was a beautiful day for it.



Then we got all dressed up and Pete took me to Giordanos for real Chicago deep dish pizza and to see the musical Wicked which I absolutely LOVED. It was really a wonderful show. Although I had read the book when it first came out, I knew from the brief glimpses I had seen of the musical that it would have little resemblance to the book. I was not wrong. But the Musical was GREAT and I think I liked it better than the book. When I read the book review those many years ago, I think the musical captured what I THOUGHT the book would be and the interesting concept that made me want to read the book. The book is interesting on its own merits, but the musical is wonderful.

Then we took the El back up to the hotel. We thought our game was at 3:00 the next day which would have been nice, we would have gotten on the road early (8a) but would probably be back in Milwaukee by 2a (Pete had a load-in Monday, so there was no calling in sick or a personal day) but then, when Detroit clinched, they moved the game to 12n (now we have to leave at 5a) but then, after the show we checked and when Oakland had clinched, they moved the game to 7p.

We had a leisurely trip down to St. Louis, got there in plenty of time to get to Pete's parents house (south of the city) and get the dogs settled. And then head to the game. We had dinner at a great restaurant downtown (There is NO Italian food like the
food in St. Louis!) Then headed to the game. It was a great game and really a blast to be there when we won the division series. As soon as the final out was recorded (a very classy move by Adam Wainwright - he let Albert take the final put-out) there was cheering and flying confetti and fireworks! All the players were jumping around on the field like little kids! Then they showed the scene in the locker room where everyone was bathed in Champagne and beer. It was a great time!



I was cashed after the game and we (I say we, but it was really Pete driving since I lost my glasses at my brother's wedding) still had to drive back to Milwaukee! We got back to Pete's parents house, Pete's mom made us a pot of coffee, and we got on the road. Pete was wired and had taken a no-doze, that lasted until about Bloomington and then it was a battle the rest of the way back to Milwaukee. But between snacking and singing with the windows open and a couple games of six-degrees we finally pulled up on front of the house at around 5:45a and went straight to bed. We didn't even bring anything in the house except our pillows and the puppies!

It was a wonderful-unforgettable birthday weekend. I'm thinking of turning 40 every year from now on!!!

Sorry there are no real pictures, I broke my camera last weekend (it really was a heck of a party!) But I am half way to getting a new one! So there will be more pix soon!