Illinois

Illinois

I've been to Illinois a few times.  Mostly I have been to Chicago which I think would be a fun place to live.

1995

St Patrick's Day- I got invited to join a priest for the day, in Chicago, on St. Patrick's Day and this is how everyone should celebrate this great day.  We started at the Catehrdral for a mass where the priest adn a few select others put on a play about the great fire of chicago.  We then went to the school basement and had a big ass breakfast together.  We sat with the plimbers' union.  We were then invited to join the plumbers' float in the parade.  Then we found a preist on the grandstand who invited to join him.  He had a spot by the propane heater.  As we settled in, he ran off and found us donuts and coffee. When we went to the bar, my priest friend was wearing his collar.  When people saw that he was a priest, it was a parting fo the seas.  We were led right up to seats at the bar.  Afterwards we went to the Chicago Irish-American Club which was an old school that had been converted in to a drunken, fun spot.  There was irish dance and corn beef and cabbage and lots to drink.  We got home around midnight and I was exhausted.

2006

PSU v Notre Dame

 I came back to South Bend to watch the Penn State vs Notre Dame football game.  Both teams had not played each other in a number of years so the game got lots of press.  Several family members and I went to the game to cheer on Penn State and we got our asses kick and it was a miserable day.

But the weekend started in Chicago on Friday.  We spent the day traveling by boat to take an arcteecure tour of the building.  We went to a Blues Bar for a PSU reception.  We ended the day, in the park, running through the Bean water fountain. That day was fun.

2021

In October, I drove to Chicago to start my journey on Route 66. It was my birthday goal, for my 66th year, to drive this entire route which starts in Chicago.  I drove 12 hours to get there, went to the start point, took a photo and moved on.  I didnt even get out of the car to take the photo.  

However, on the way home, I did stop in Springfield to visit the Lincoln Library and Museum which is osmething I have wanted to do for years and I was woefully disappointed. I had expected to see original, historical  documents but there was very little to show of his great works.