March 2024: Easter in Oak Park

It was Liz’s spring break, we should do something fun. We did one of the funnest things there is—we drove to Chicago for the Easter weekend in our new Tiguan! AND we brought Cornelius with us! Riding in the car is just about the only time Cornelius will sit on my lap and let me pet him. And by “just about” I mean “absolutely”. We made good time to Chicago and found a welcome sign for Cornelius hanging in the garage!

The next day, a Thursday, I worked all day. But we snuck down to the downtown Oak Park for Sweetgreen. Liz played some piano. And in the evening, we got tacos at a place highly recommended by Mom’s painter. And it deserved that high recommendation! Wow. Really I ought to look up the name. Also, during our taco meal we revealed that on Tuesday I had bought a Volvo wagon. That little situation really came together quickly!

Friday Liz went on a sentimental journey to her childhood home in Kenosha while I worked. We were reunited that night at Johnnie’s, which I walked to — something I had never done before and was pleasantly surprised to find is actually quite easy and nice. We should do it all the time!

Saturday morning Liz and I returned to the scene of our marriage, just barely a more than a year earlier, the Chicago temple. Last time it was gray and rainy. This time it was sunny and too bright. After the temple we went with Mom and Dad to try the cheddar char burgers at Paradise Pup and, guess what? Yup. They were awesome. Wowzers. Chicago, you’ve just got treasures all over the place.

I should write about Cornelius…he spent his first 24hrs in Oak Park pretty spooked and skittish, but by Friday had calmed down and gotten brave and really seemed to enjoy poking around all over the house and getting on top of its doors. And, as hoped, he was particularly taken with the sun porch. What cat wouldn’t be?!

Then that afternoon Liz and I went down to peak from behind the palm fronds at the Garfield Conservatory and to have a Wicker Park walkaround. No Wicker Park pictures, but plenty of Conservatory pictures. I was not very conservative when it came to taking conservatory pictures!