Day 168

The last Thursday in Chicago. Well my last week here has certainly had an interesting turn. I woke up Monday with a killer sore throat and went to the doctor. She told me I had a bad viral infection, but there was nothing she could do for me other than telling me to drink a lot of fluids and take zinc lozenges. She took my blood pressure and saw it was high and asked me if I was under any undue new stress in my life. Funny huh? So I spent the rest of Monday and most of Tuesday in bed with my laptop doing work and sleeping. I felt better yesterday as the problems had moved out of my throat and into my nose, but I can handle a cold, its the throat that keeps me down. I have been swamped with work over the last month or so and I am trying to stay on top of everything. I took a break yesterday as I went to one last stop at Hot Doug's with Sturch, who is back from his year in Utah and brief stint in Montana. I buried a Blue Cheese Pork Sausage with Pear Mayo and Smoked Almonds, and a White Wine and Dijon Rabbit Sausage with Roasted Garlic Dijonnaise and Fromager D'Affinoise. A good way to go out. As always, Sturch made me laugh. I told him he is the most unique person I know. The opposite of cookie cutter and I respect him for it. I said my goodbye to him and came back and worked more. Last night we went to Brownstone with Sean and Nancy and Buatch and Sara. It was a beautiful night and we ate outside. We really had a great time. It was just one of those things that it crazy to me. I was enjoying the company, the food, and the atmosphere, and I stopped for a minute and thought about how much I love this city and my friends here. I was just trying to soak it all in, in my 70% way last night. We will see Nancy and Sean probably once a month in Cleveland, but Buatch and Sara will be different. We won't see them nearly as much. It really was a great night.

We had another showing at 8:30 last night while we were gone - hopefully that went well. We have another tonight at 6:30. The price drops again on Monday as we leave town. We still have a lot to do here, but are making good progress. Leah has been home all week and is already bored. Since I was sick, she did a lot of packing solo, but I helped when I could. At this point, there are just a few things here and there we need to pack and we are done. I am having dinner tonight with Gregg and Dave, probably one last go round at the Athenian Room. Dave turns 29 tomorrow so I must give him a birthday shout out. Don't miss the classic photo of Dave with Gregg's daughter Samantha. I am missing his big birthday barbecue as we are going to the rehearsal dinner of Leah's friend Jenny. Speaking of which, here is what I don't get about gentile weddings. Saturday, the wedding is called for 3 PM at a church. Cool. Well the reception isn't until 6 and it is in the burbs. So what am we supposed to do for two hours in a suit and a dress up North to kill time? Strange. My old college roommate Franco is getting married next weekend (we aren't invited) and it is supposedly the same thing. It is what it is, but I don't get it. So we enter the last stand in Chicago. I can't believe it is finally here. I will write something on Sunday before I go a tribute to Chicago, the best city in America.

Days Left in Chicago: 4
Song of the Day: "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles