Hey, hey, hey!  Don’t think I forgot about posting our day’s events of our Nation’s birthday in the birthplace of Honest Abe.  Day started with a stretch and a shower, and more oggling over the scenery outside Morgan’s condo.

Morgan’s muse, Sarah, came to pick us up to take us to a hip, very popular, jewish diner.

Eleven City.  Now the wait for a table can be in excess of an hour.  That is, unless you come with Morgan.  He’s not sure why, but the owner loves him, and he’s on the VIP list.  We jumped the line and got this corner booth next to the window!

Not bad, Morgo…

I show the menu only because EVERYTHING looked so good.

Mmmmm…cheesy fries.

I got the The Woody Allen.  Copied (w/ no qualms) from the famous Carnegie Deli in NY, this double decker of Corned Beef and Pastrami is as kosher as it is delicious.  Muy!

I swear on my life, my jaw on the right side is still sore (a week later) from trying to get my mouth over this sandwich.  But I did it!

Now, this next fun activity may sound a little oddly timed given the feast we were still in minor agony over…but we had to see the Taste of Chicago.  As we walked in, these two gentlemen were rolling in a cart load of deep dish, Chicago-style pies.  Pizza pies, that is.

But we didn’t care, we just wanted to find a beer tent.

We found one next to Buckingham Fountain.  The new Bud Light Wheat, surprisingly, gets two thumbs up.  Way to go.

It was hot.  It was packed.  We didn’t last long…

Instead, we continued on a walking tour of the city.  Next stop, Millennium Park.

I finally got to see the big silver bean!  I don’t know what it is about this thing, but it is so captivating.  We were drawn like a moth to a flame.  (Or, maybe it was just me and I insisted everyone else come along.  Either way…).  Doesn’t it kind of look like the spaceship from The Flight Of The Navigator?

Cool shot.  Thanks, Morgan.

OK.  Group photo!  (It’s kind of dirty up close.)

I don’t remember what building this was, but Morgan was calling everything out as we went along.  He’d make an excellent tour guide.

Once we got back to Morgan’s, it was goooood to be home in the a/c.  We took an afternoon snoozer to regain some energy, but we had some grilling to do.  It was the fourth after all.  Morgan took us to the coolest Whole Foods, nay, grocery store, I’ve ever been to.  Replete with everything one would expect from WF, but on an extreme scale.  Including a bar!  Naturally, we had to get some local craft brews, from the tap, for our shopping excursion.  Why wouldn’t we? 🙂

Back home, the sky was turning dark, and the fireworks were starting to get underway.  But we all had work to do…dinner!  We were each pulling double-duties.

Some were chopping veggies.

Some were making cocktails.

We all did our fair share of snacking.

And some just did whatever his wife kept bossing him around to do.

Posing with the tuna.

Mmmm!  Tuna tartare!

Lamp lollipops.

Bone suckin’ good.

Meanwhile, outside the fireworks in all of the western ‘burbs had been going on for hours.  We had 180 degree views and four hours of fireworks.

 

One birthday down (America’s), one to go (Morgan’s).

 

Cheers