On The Town

I know. It's 1:50 in the morning. But I can't sleep. Perhaps it's all the chocolate in my system.

Stephen and I have been really enjoying the city since we got back. It's like we can finally see its beauty and not just wish we were back in cornfields. Don't get me wrong, I still prefer cornfields, but the city has a beauty all its own.

Yesterday I got my hair cut with a friend and we took a long, brisk walk to the hair cuttery and then enjoyed a giant chocolate chip cookie and some cranberry juice at a quaint bread bakery down the street. The we strolled back and looked at all the neat storefronts in Old Town. I've walked past those storefronts a dozen times. But I had never stopped to really look. There were some neat stores!

So last night Stephen and I bundled up (due to the 40 degree plummet in temperature from three days ago) and headed out. We spent a couple of hours walking up and down the streets, poking in little shops, and getting some peanut butter chocolate from the Fudge Pot. Yummy. Tom Cruise thought so, too.

Here are some snapshots of our evening:





Then tonight we were invited by a couple of our friends to hang out again. They said they knew this cool place with good chocolate we could go to. They must have known what would lure me, because we bundled up again (it was 43 degrees out tonight) and headed back out.

We had a delightful time catching up and sharing funny stories (and quotes from The Office, or Kaelin's favorite, Elf). We walked almost two miles to a fun little grocery market (Sister, it really rminded me of Central Market, only not near as cold!), and we picked up some amazing licorice and chocolate.

We continued our journey to Navy Pier, since we were so close anyways and sadly, living here for two years now, we still haven't been. We meandered, looked at the huge ferris wheel, danced around with the cool sculptures, and began the long journey back along Lake Michigan. About halfway home we were pleasantly surprised to turn around and see a fireworks display back on Navy Pier. We stopped to watch it, then moved on.


Kaelin and I


How many libs do YOU think this pump-a-kin is?


Stephen takes down one of the statues

We ended our night going back to Ray and Kaelin's apartment, having homemade hot cocoa (delicious!) and watching a movie. This is how the night ended:



All three of them asleep and me wide awake. At 1:30 in the morning. Ray always gets these fantastic ideas of having a Lord of the Rings fest and watching all of them, then only stays awake for the first 30 minutes.

Stephen and I left the still sleeping Ray and Kaelin in their living room and padded off to our own apartment where Stephen immediately fell back asleep in bed, and I finally came out here to blog until I could sleep.

At least I don't have to be up for anything in the morning.