We then went back to the hotel, where we finally connected with Bill and Kay, who had Steve's keys. We wanted to get his mail, pick him up a few things from his apartment, and make sure everything there was good.
So we had a nice chat with Bill and Kay, and it was awfully nice to know that Steve has good friends to help him out when he needs it. From there it was off to the post office, where I found his mailbox, along with a notice of expiry. I paid for another 6 months for him, then we went hunting for his apartment, and hunting is the right word, because our information was wrong. So I'm trying to open what I thought was his apartment, and failing, when we hear noises inside. A bit alarming, so I ring the doorbell, and am surprised when someone answers.
Yes, I was trying to get into the wrong apartment and I think I might owe the guy some new underwear.
So we went to see Steve again, at least having accomplished getting the mail, and this time got a physical description of exactly where his apartment was. After going thru his mail with him and making sure there was nothing too urgent, we listened to a few more Don stories, then went apartment hunting again. With the right number and Steve's physical description, I found the place no problem this time, even in the dark of night (well after 8 by then).
Steve's apartment was nice, small and cozy, but comfortable, clean and very well organized. His big concern was whether or not he had made his bed, and I was happy to tell him that he had.
We then took the things he wanted, and headed back to the hotel for a hot tub, which was only very warm, but still quite nice, and even better, totally deserted. Of course, by then it was 11, and we hadn't really had dinner, so we found the one pub in walking distance serving food, and it was us and one other guy hitting on the waitress. The other guy, not us. We had dinner - we'll always wonder if he had dessert.
I then foolishly watched Avatar on HBO til the middle of the night, and as a result was pretty baked for the first leg of our return trip home. We went back to Steve's apartment to get the right jacket for him, then back for our final visit, which had to be fairly short as we had a tight timeline to get the keys back to bill and Kay. I got a bit emotional leaving, obvious reasons, right?
We then had to stop at Culver's, for our final lunch in Wisconsin, especially since Bill and Kay gave us some coupons. What an awesome place - I would say its a cant miss when in Wisconsin, or anywhere else that has one.
We then moseyed our way back down to Chicago and the Kindrachuk/Benoit household, stopping only to pick up some Wisconsin cheese for Bill, which was an experience in itself. Gabi thought we were going to be featured on a cheese based reality show.
We had a lovely time in Lisle, getting to visit with Bill, Janice, John, Alex and Charlie. It was nice getting to know the boys a bit better, and we were impressed by all of them. Charlie is particularly interested in cars, wants to open a shop working on high end cars, and needs money for parts for a Camaro he's rebuilding, so I got him to do a much needed oil change on the van. Win-win for both of us, I hope, although he had to get up early and it was freezing out while he was working.
Alex was already off skating (@6am!!!!), as was Janice, and we didn't see John or Dave, but it was particularly wonderful to visit with Uncle Bill. He took us all out for a nice Chinese buffet, which I never mind, and even gave me a piece of family history, which was a fur hat made by my Aunt Mary, which was cut from a fur coat that used to belong to my Baba Olga. We also really appreciated being put up for the night in a really comfortable guest bedroom - thanks, guys!
We're near Lansing Michigan right now, heading to Sarnia. I'm picking up a few replacement displays for Orbitor 1 from Corey, the Ontario Stern guru, and we should be home tonight.
Hasn't been an inexpensive trip, but it's been worth it in so many intangible ways, from catching up with family on Chicago, to Steve's jaw hitting the floor when he saw us, to the expected surprise on the girls faces when we bring their gifts. Gabi and I got a nice break from the routine and a chance to reconnect, which was really tremendous. All in all, a great trip.
Sent from an iPhone.
0 comments:
Post a Comment