All at Once, One Day, its Spring …

I love Chicago.  I love the people.  The architecture.  The activities.  The museums.  The restaurants.  It’s pretty much the perfect city.  Except for one little thing.

Winter.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love having four seasons.  But when the seasons bleed over into other seasons, we start to have a problem.

Meteorological winter technically runs from December 21^st to March 20^th.  Except this year.  When I wore a winter coat as recently as last week.

Go ahead.  Check your calendar.  I’ll wait.

Yes, you saw that right.  It’s May.  And I wore a winter coat.

I wouldn’t complain if I knew that summer was going to be extra long to make up for the extra long winter.  And who knows.  Technically anything is possible.  But I highly doubt that we will have a summer that bleeds into next winter.

But summer in Chicago makes the whole rest of the year worthwhile.  For starters, all of the streets turn into outdoor restaurants.  (See above photo).

I just need everyone to know that those are tables.  For sitting.  Outside.  Complete with flowers.  Across the street from a park with trees.  That have leaves on them!

The only negative thing that I can think of about this time of year is that all of the tables cut down the available sidewalk space by 50%.  Not that I’m complaining.  But I think everyone would agree that the limited sidewalk space does make it harder to dodge the multitudes of tourists the swarm the area in the summer.

And once the outdoor tables make an appearance, it’s only a few days until the first of the free concerts in the park with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  And movies in the park.  Free dance lessons in the park.  Workouts in the park.  Etc …

I always forget how many people live in Chicago.  And then, all at once, everyone ventures out of hibernation at the same time.  Because it is suddenly Spring!

Is it that Hard to Predict the Weather?

Tom Skilling is my favorite weatherman.

It’s not because he’s better at predicting the weather (seriously, I think they’d probably have a better average if they just guessed!  Unless you aren’t good at guessing.  Like me.  In a 50/50 chance scenario, I am wrong 100% of the time) but because he always makes me feel better about the weather.

Tom Skilling could tell me it was -20 degrees with a 100% chance of tornadoes and I’d probably still walk away from the tv feeling happy.

A couple of years ago, I was watching the news as a storm blew in.  The weekend weather lady was panicking and telling everyone to seek shelter now (which everyone knows is code for, “Something awesome is happening in the sky and everyone should run outside now to see it!”).  My mom grabbed the dogs and headed downstairs.  And everyone else headed outside to give their prediction of the coming clouds.  The weather woman was repeating every 10 seconds that a tornado has been spotted … and to seek immediate safety in a room without a view.

But then Tom Skilling walked in to the studio.  Took one glace at the radar.  And told all of the viewers that he didn’t think this was anything to worry about.  Which is code for, “It’s ok everyone, there isn’t going to be interesting outside and you all can come in now.”  And then we all went on with our normal lives.

So, all this leads up to my point.  I like the WGN weatherman.  But I think he might be on something today.  Because that picture at the upper right side is the forecast for today.  To me this says the current temperature is 65 degrees with a low of XX and a high of XX.  Wait, how can the Today’s High be lower than the current temperature … I’m confused.

And it gets worse – I was just outside.  Let me tell you.  There is NO WAY it is 65 degrees out there.  I’m not even sure it’s within 15 degrees of 65.

I just can’t figure it out.  I feel like Tom Skilling knows that I want it to be 65 degrees outside.  And as long as I don’t go outside, I am free to believe that it is 65 degrees outside even if he originally only predicted a high of 57.  But then it all crashes and burns with the first step outside.  And I make an immediate return to reality.

Let me tell you.  Reality stinks.  So forgive me if I just go back to admiring the pretty picture at the top with the sun and best number of 65.  And someday.  Just someday.  We might actually have a 65 degree day!

The Silver Lining in Chicago’s Six Inches of Rain

I missed the 6-inch rain event yesterday.  But I was able to capture this picture on our way back in to the city yesterday at 4:59.  Also known as rush hour.

Can you spot the problem?

Yeah, that’s right.  No traffic!

That sign says 4 minutes to the circle interchange.  One of the three worst stretches of road in the country.  On a regular day at rush hour, this sign would say 40 minutes or more.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever made it to the circle in less than 15 minutes.

It was like I missed the apocalypse.

Well, actually, I did miss the apocalypse if you call closed expressways, rising rivers, flooded streets and basements, needing to get rescued by rafts and boats, etc … an apocalypse.

I feel a little bad – I capitalized on the fact that most people couldn’t get to work yesterday morning due to all of the aforementioned problems.  If you don’t make it to work, then you don’t need to go home.  And thus keeping everyone off of all of the expressways.

Except, of course, for this idiot who tried to make it through a flooded highway … in something other than a semi.  And even then, it might have been risky.

At least the driver was able to get his trunk open.  Ok, I have no idea why his trunk was open.  Maybe he wanted to maximize the amount of water in his car?

Anyway, I hope everyone is staying high and dry.

The End of Route 66

Route 66.  The iconic highway that linked the Midwest with the West Coast in the 1920s and started the “Great Migration” west.  Well, migration by car anyway.

I’ve never had the opportunity to drive the length of the highway but I’ve always wanted to make the trip.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to explore tourist attractions such as world’s largest ball of string, and teepee shaped hotels, and many, many Indian curio shops.  Then make stops at the Grand Canyon.  The meteor crater in Arizona.  And the birthplace of fast food … apparently we can thank the hurried travelers a hundred years ago for our bulging waistlines.

I know that the complete highway no longer exists – with many sections of the original route being paved over, removed, or just plain abandoned.  And you really have to plan ahead if you want to maximize your time on what’s left of historic route 66.

But what I didn’t know is that what is left of Route 66 terminates just outside my new front door.  See proof in above, poor quality, photo.  (Hey it was raining here.  Just like it has every day for the last two weeks.  You try taking a quality photo using a phone that fogs over at the slightest hint of precipitation.)

So this means my daily commute to work is along Route 66.

Jealous?

Of course, I’m doing it wrong.  Route 66 represented the new method of getting across country – your own automobile.  But I’m still traveling my small part the old fashioned way – I have to walk.

But is still means that every day I get my kicks on Route 66.

How to Live with Your Sister

It’s official.  My sister moved in yesterday.  And she’s even unpacked.

Granted, she still has a hole where a wall should be.  But this just gives Kizzy easy access to run from our room to hers.  Or hers to ours.  Depending on where she starts and who she remembers is home.

And I have to say, we are off to a good start.  Yesterday she made dinner.  I can live with her forever if she continues to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

But I harbor no illusions that our lives together are going to be sunshine and roses … or, in this case, grilled cheese and other food items.

No, we didn’t spend all of the time practicing not getting along in high school to not have at least one blow-up.  In fact, we’ve already made plans to tentatively plan a fight to blow off steam.  I mean, isn’t that one of the best part of having sisters?  Being able to get mad at them and then go back to being friends 5 minutes later like nothing ever happened?

However, just to make sure that we make this work, I have compiled a list of tips to successfully live with your sister.

#1.  Remember that she already knows all of the stupid things that you did as a child.  So don’t make her mad or she might just be tempted to pull one out as blackmail.  Also, don’t try to change the story.  She was there.  And unfortunately, she still remembers.

#2.  Make a list of all of the things you like about your sister.  So that when you do something idiotic, you can pull out the list and hopefully use it as a way to make her distracted enough that she forgets what you just did.

#3.  Split the cost of wine.  My sister and I have spent every Tuesday together for at least a year (although, sometimes it is Monday, or Wednesday, or Thursday, or even Friday, Saturday and Sunday but it’s usually only a combination of two times a week) for food and drinks.  But now it’s going to be every day.  That’s a lot of wine drinking and grilled cheese eating time.  Tip #3B.  Remember to stock up on cheese …

#4.  When you really want to be alone, go into your bedroom and lock the door.  Remember that your sister doesn’t have this option because of previously-mentioned hole in wall.  Offer to tape a picture of a lock between the walls over the hole as a symbolic gesture.  Then try not to go in anyway.  Realize that the dog doesn’t understand the importance of symbolic gestures and has already run in to her room.  Stop and realize that, “Hey, we should probably do something about that hole.”

#5.  Remember that Keith is a saint.  Who is hopefully susceptible to wine and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Udaipur and Our Last Day in India

Every once in awhile you come across an image that is burned into your brain so deeply that closing your eyes for even a second brings back a vivid scene.

On this trip, for instance, the images I will always remember in great detail are tigers in the Bandhavgarh Forest, the Taj Mahal, the grand rotunda at Umaid Bhawan Palace, the birds running on water on Lake Pichola, and, well, I’ll get to that in a minute.

Let’s back up to the beginning of our last stop.

We left Jodhpur for Udaipur by way of Delhi bright and early in the morning.  (Just a side note in case you were counting – this will be our 4th visit to Delhi.  I can say that we have definitely seen Delhi.  Or at least are very experienced with the Delhi airports.)

We stayed at the Oberoi Udaivilas which was built in 2006 but the hotel still manages to capture all the romance and splendor of a royal era.  It also had a fantastic view of the floating palace in the middle of Lake Pichola as well as the city palace on the opposite bank.  (See first picture)

I liked this hotel.  But I don’t remember a lot other than the bed was comfortable.  And the room opened up on to a private terrace that looked out over a pool.  Which we didn’t use.  You know, busy sightseeing and stuff.

That first afternoon we explored the pool and enjoyed a view of the sunset over the lake.  And then we were up bright and early for another day exploring the old city and a tour of the lake.

Now, at this point, we have seen a lot of palaces.  They are all impressive.  And all very, very similar.  We were to the point where one guide told us that when touring Europe you start to feel like it is ABC (another bloody cathedral) but in India it is ABF (another bloody fort).  Apparently we aren’t the only ones to feel underwhelmed by the palace forts by the end of the journey.

But the city palace was nice.

And we enjoyed the floating palace that is now a Taj Hotel.

Then we went on a boat ride of Lake Pichola.  Now, the lake is about 3-4 feet deep.  But safety first.  And we all had to wear life jackets.

We toured the wall of the city palace, the floating palace, a Venice looking canal, encountered a flock of birds that can run on water …

… on our way to the Jagmandir Palace – another floating “palace” that is used as an outdoor wedding venue.

But the one thing that I will always remember is the sight of people bathing on the banks of the lake. The bathing areas are broken in to separate sections for men and women and the fence is more of a metal banister than a privacy fence.  So it’s not really to keep men and women from seeing each other but more to just say, “Hey, this space is for women only.”

I applaud the locals devotion to cleanliness.  Most of the poor without access to water come to the lake every day to bathe.

But I will never, ever, forget the site of the gentleman covering himself in soap and vigorously scrubbing below his undergarments.

Soon we have to leave for a flight back to Delhi in time to catch our 3 AM flight back to the states.  (The 5th visit to Delhi).

Shopping in Jodhpur (And We Also Went SightSeeing)

Jodhpur is known as the Blue City.  And, unlike the last one, this one actually is blue.

It started when the original palace/fort got to big to house all of the important members of the Maharaja’s household.  So some of the officials left the palace to go build their own homes in town.  But so that they could be quickly found, the officials painted their houses blue.

I have an image of the King going to his window and surveying the town.  Then pointing to blue houses at random.  “I want that guy and that guy and that guy.  Go get them.”  But I’m sure that would never happen …

One day, according to our guide, Disney came to town to film scenes from the original Jungle Book.  But they decided that more houses needed to blue to really make the scene (which is funny, because this Jungle Book was filmed in black and white …) so they paid the town to paint their houses.  Now, I can’t actually confirm this legend anywhere on google.  So maybe it’s true.  Maybe it’s not.  But it sure is a good story and it sounds like something Disney would do!

Our first stop of the tour day was the Mehrangarh Fort.  This fort is situated 400 feet above the city and has the reputation of being one of the most impenetrable forts.  A fact confirmed by the design of the fort where certain walls and features were carved from solid rock giving the impression that they were built on top of rock but really are made of rock.  And you just can’t fire enough cannon balls at a solid rock wall and hope to bring down the fort.  This doesn’t mean that attackers didn’t try … the imprints of cannonballs fired by attacking armies can still be seen on the gates of the fort.

This fort is also semi-famous in Hollywood.  For instance, this is the fort that is seen in the background when Batman escapes from the dungeon in the Dark Knight Rises.  It was also used for a VISA commercial.  As our guide reminded us over and over.  Pointing out each spot used for the 30 seconds clip.

My favorite features were the museums with the different conveyances of the royal family.  From Howdahs (also know as elephant seats) for the Maharajah to Palanquins (those stretcher looking things that are almost always carried in movies on the shoulders of a group of really buff looking men) for the wives … to carriages that were built for the English rulers who never mastered the art of sitting cross-legged.  There were also treasure museums, galleries of intricate artwork and even a weapon display.

After we left the fort, we drove by the Jaswant Thada – the crematorium for the maharajahs.

Then headed in to town for the best part of the day.  Shopping!!!

We went to the town square located beneath the clock tower to spend time with some of the local artisians.  Where we ran in to the local dentist.  He’s the guy behind the guy shaving.  Sometimes a fight breaks out between the dentist and his patient because he pulled the wrong tooth.

Wait, back up, we need to talk about the clock tower really fast.  As you would expect, it was built by the British.  Who were tired of their Indian subjects living on, well, Indian time.  Which means, we will get to you when we get to you.  The British thought that maybe the problem was that no one had a clock.  So they built one.  Except it didn’t help because Indian time isn’t time at all.  It’s more of a way of life.  And you can’t change a way of life by just building a large clock.

Anyway, we first visited a textile showroom.  Where we bought blankets.  And bedding.  And wall art.  And pashminas.  It was a glorious stop.

Then we went to a spice store where we purchased spices to recreate our favorite Indian dishes … which you know isn’t going to work out very well but at least we will have tried!  Also, did you know that you can’t carry chili powder through an airport?  Turns out it gets confiscated.

Lisa even purchased a set of bangles from one of the street vendors.

All in all, a very successful stop.

By this time, I was tired.  All that shopping really takes it out of you.  And I really wanted to do nothing more than sit by the pool.  So I bowed out of the rest of the sightseeing to some of the local villages.  And spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool.  Totally recommended.