More New Friends

Time is precious on your last day in the big city so in an effort to get the priorities right, we had breakfast, and followed it immediately with a big bag of Garrett's Popcorn.

Garrett's is a Chicago landmark and rightly so. Not wanting to overuse the word sublime, which I have already applied to Chicago's Pizza, I will simply call it perfect popcorn. We shared a medium sized bag of the mixed caramel and cheese and like some on crack cocaine, became instant addicts. I don't know why that combination of flavors generates 40 to 60 minute long lines at their several stores, but it does, and rightly so. I may dream of it tonight.

Our fingers were still cheesy and sweet when we arrived at the Museum of Science and Industry. This magnificent attraction deserves days, not just hours, but our time was limited so we arrived early and stayed till closing. It had the very thing I wanted to see most, a big farm combine. I sometimes have a hard time denuding an ear of sweet corn, and I have good teeth! Having seen them on our farm tour with Tom McDonnell I was left aching to understand how this half million dollar gizmo manages to get the corn kernels off the cob while cutting a 36' wide swath through a field at 10 mph. Seeing the illustrations, movies, under the hood cut-aways, and the clear plastic sided actual combine was worth the price of admission. I rarely get emotional about a machine but, combine, I love you. xoxoxo.

There were many other worthwhile things to see and do. One presenter led us on a hands on trip through his historic tool box. We were asked to guess the function of 100+ year old tools like candle stick molds, a broom making jig, a molten candy dropper, a coconut meat scraper, and my favorite, a ruffled linen iron. The presenter was skilled at humorous delivery and history and his audience was locked in, unable to leave, or even look away for fear of missing something. Similar kudos to Warren, the Smart House Guide who showed us the latest in smart home building techniques.

Also on display are full size airplanes, the whole, genuine, Silver Streak Train, and the actual, in-tact, complete, German U-505 submarine. Not only did they have the real boat, but they wrap it in an entire wing of the building including many displays and short movies of the heroic , salvage, and secret transport back to Bermuda where it was studied, improving our defenses against similar machines. I can't imagine telling the story any better than they manage here. Learn more at http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/u-505/

For an extra fee we watched an IMAX movie about the sea and toured the Smart House. Interesting, but not as cool as putting a real U-Boat in the building.

Up till now, I've thought of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia or the Smithsonian's History and Technology to be my favorite museums but this place is a real contender. The whole damn submarine is in the building!

Time to eat again. We found ourselves near the highly recommended Gino's East so we joined the 45 minute long line.

It was drizzling, but our wait was made enjoyable when we started talking to others. When the host came out to announce that they had a table for 6 available, the Decker Family, a party of of 4, and the Hanburys, a party of 2 became instant friends and shared the table.

For about two hours we consumed Gino's famous fare, talked, laughed, drank, and wrote our names on the walls. They cheerfully tolerated my usual bragging about our kids, Harry and Jane. We talked about motorcycles, (Chris, the fast bike video I mentioned is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IxSjuMUCE&feature=related ), and many other things. They were great company and we enjoyed dinner much more than if we had dined by ourselves. Thanks, Amy, Sandra, Chris and Jamie, for a very pleasant evening.

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Our lovely waitress, Alison, photographed us, and herself, and improved the party with her charm and good service. She is leaving for a new job in a Shakespearean Theater; best of luck Alison, or is it Nosila?

And then, out of food and drink, we went back to the hotel feeling very good about a day that turned out better than average and most of our days have been wonderful.