November Rain

The proceeds of my dad's condo were sent to me second day after closing. I was anxious to get the funds in the bank. I had received the EIN for the estate days before so I believed everything I needed to open his estate account was in order. I confirmed this with a phone call to my bank of choice and I was told to "come in", but when I showed up on a Saturday, I learned that the representatives that open estate accounts are only available Monday-Friday. It would've been nice if that was mentioned on the phone. Oh well. The agent set an appointment for the next Monday, and took copies of the documents to expedite the process. I arrived at my scheduled appointment and the rep sent off the documents to legal. This was after I received a call stating that I needed to bring in the originals because the copies would not suffice. Fortunately, I had them together already assuming that would be the case. All good - right?! Nope. The first snag was that one of the probate docs did not have a raised seal. Apparently, only a copy was issued by the courts. They were willing to waive it given the circumstances - court in another state and all, but then, they saw the other state was Illinois. This was a big problem. Illinois is one of the few, if not the only states, that require estate monies to remain in IL until probate has concluded.

I was at a national bank with branches in Nevada, Illinois and in all likelihood the rest of the 48 states. But the appointment came to a screeching halt. The account would have to be opened in Illinois. Period.

Um. Wow.

I had numerous conversations with the probate attorney prior to this and she failed to mention this detail. Even when I asked multiple times that there was nothing that would require my presence in IL. Needless to say, I was frustrated. I've now made two trips to the bank that were a complete waste of my time. I've spent a great sum to date that cannot be reimbursed until the estate account is open and I'm able to draw from it. Worst of all, I was looking at the added expense of a trip to Chicago or attorney fees to find a work around.

The universe took pity on me, I managed to find a flight to Chicago on Southwest the first week of November for $76 round trip. The fare was so inexpensive I easily had enough Rapid Rewards to cover it. Though, I was completely out of time off, my boss approved my two day absence given the circumstances. My only real expense was the rental car I picked up at Midway. This was considerably cheaper than the legal fees so the choice was easy, even if it meant - Chicago in November. Brrr. I faced a real chance of snow and blustery cold.

There were frost warnings the week before my trip. I whined about it every chance I got, it was 80's in Vegas. I wanted no part of the cold. But it was there to greet me on arrival. It was an incredibly wet weekend too, but I was fortunate that the temps never dipped below freezing so I didn't encounter snow. Small victories.



When I got into town I took the shuttle to the rental car facility. It was extremely busy for it being one o'clock in the morning. All sorts of high school kids and their families were in town for some sort of hockey tournament. You couldn't walk without tripping over a hockey stick. I happened to be (proudly) wearing my Vegas Golden Knights hoodie, but no one acknowledged it (boo). After sorting out the paperwork, I was given the choice of two vehicles in the lot. My first pick was a Mitsubishi which I quickly learned that it had bad brakes and a check engine light illuminated. So, that was a no go. The other vehicle was a Hyundai with a missing a back license plate. I was paranoid the whole trip that I was going to be pulled over. It was a relief when I returned the vehicle without incident. I know it was a busy weekend, but I really would expect better from Alamo. In fairness, I've only had good experiences in other cities.

I had a bad case of butterflies prior to the appointment I had scheduled with the bank. I was nervous there'd be some sort of hiccup that would prevent me from opening the estate account. I stopped at the attorney's office to pick up the original documents that they had been received from court the week before per my request. I could breath a little easier with those in hand. The representative that assisted me at the bank had the title of Vice President, but he had no experience opening an estate account. This did not put me at ease. Fortunately, I did have experience, I was able to walk him through what he would need to send to legal so we could get started. Legal provided the support to get things done on their end. It took forever... and a day. But it was done. Hallelujah. I was able to deposit a whole stack of checks. Plus cash from the sale of my dad's car. My mother-in-law sold it the week before, I was so thankful. If it hadn't been sold, I planned to donate it while I was in town.

With my mission accomplished I was free to visit friends and family. I also worked in my mother-in-law's shed organizing belongings from my dad's condo, and I worked to clear items I left cluttering her garage. As I sorted, I picked out as much as I could safely pack in suitcases to bring back to Vegas. I couldn't let two free checked bags on Southwest go to waste. However, I was nervous the bags would be lost in transit. I packed the items of actual value in my carry on and I checked the sentimental items. I was relieved when I was reunited with all my luggage back at McCarran. I don't think I've ever traveled so heavy in my life. I don't know people do it regularly.



It was nice to catch up with old friends and spend time with family that I haven't seen in way too long. Satisfying cravings always hits the spot too. I consumed many bowls of creamed soups. Whatever the variation - I miss them so. It was also a nice treat to see the fall foliage. We don't get much of a show living in the desert so the colors were quite beautiful. One afternoon I took a ride to Lake Katherine which is a large park with prairies and wetlands that are situated a 10 acre lake. I hadn't been there in nearly 20 years. It was pretty muddy and many leaves had already fallen and the colors weren't as spectacular as I hoped, but it was a scenic stroll along the lake.















As far as I know, this was my last major hurdle. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The past three months were extremely demanding and they've left me weary. Despite it all, I was able to catch several breaks. For that, I am thankful.

You know you're in Chicago when....

Sugar & Spice, And All Things Nice

That's what little girls are made of. My niece is healthy, but already giving her mom grief. This pregnancy has been a lot harder on my sister. She still had two months to go. We celebrated her impending arrival over Memorial Day weekend. The morning after my brother-in-law's wedding, I flew from Oakland to Chicago-Midway.

Thankfully, there was an early flight and it had no delays. I was able to arrive early enough to help set up. It was a good thing too, they were in the weeds preparing for the party. We got it knocked out pretty well by the time guests arrived. It wasn't your typical shower, it was held in the backyard, we barbequed and had a bonfire. Everyone was welcome.























Our family hasn't had many little girls and I believe Addison will be the first in Jeff's family. Ribbons, bows, and pink dominated the shower gifts. She will be one well dressed little girl. We all cannot wait to meet her.

After the celebration, we had quality sister time. We made returns and purchased new items for Addison. Had a bedding crisis. We also learned that cribs today are not made for short people. All the shopping wore us out. Thankfully, we were well fueled by Lou Malnati's pizza. The butter crust is delicious, but they pile on the sausage which creates pools of unneccesary grease. It was a first for me, and I'd try it again, but I'd ask for easy sausage.





I also tried Culver's for the first time. It was the fried cheese curds that swayed me to try them and they were delicious. I didn't try the custard, heresy, I know. A big time favorite for folks back home is Hog Wild. I tried it many moons ago at the old location and recall not being too fond of the pulled pork. Everyone insists the pork chop is where it is at, so I made it priority to try it this trip. It is a bargain, it's a stellar chop for less than ten bucks with two sides. They have mild BBQ sauce on the table, but if you're like me and like more bold flavor do yourself a favor and ask for the spicy. It's not real hot, but it has some kick which adds depth and complements the sweetness well.



Amy let Nicky play hooky one day so we could go with my dad to Starved Rock. I was last there in my late-teens. Frank, our friend Bill and I camped. My memory from that trip was how badly we were feasted on by mosquitos. Turns out mosquitos there are still mighty hungry, 15 years later (I forget how much I hate those buggers). When I was a little, my parents always stopped at Duffy's for dinner after Starved Rock. We broke tradition a bit by stopping there first for lunch, but little else has changed. The building is smaller than I remember, but I was happy to see the ladies in the bathtub remain. I swear the corn dog was my go to menu item as kid, but this time I went with medium-rare burger topped with mushrooms and swiss. It hit the spot. Duffy's may very well be where my fondess for Irish bars began.





For those who don't know Starved Rock, it is a state park that sits on the banks of Illinois River in Utica, IL. Legend has it that the Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes trapped the Illi on the sandstone butte (that overlooks the river) until they died of starvation. Hence, the name Starved Rock. The park is the most scenic in the area, there are 13 miles of hiking trails and it offers other recreational sports. There are cliffs and canyons, waterfalls are common. My favorite time to see the falls is when they are frozen in winter months. We didn't do the trails near the falls, we stuck to those along the river. It was warm and muggy, the air was thick and we pooped out faster than we expected. Still, we had a nice day with my dad.

















It was a whirlwind trip, and of course, it went too quick, but I'm happy I got to spend some time with my sister before she's a mother of two. Nick has grown so fast. He's since officially finished first grade. Minecraft is his world. I'm a bit sad to watch him grow into a young man, but I'm happy to see he remains sweet and helpful, and he has a heart of gold just like his momma. Amy & Jeff recently moved into a bigger house on the same property they rented before so they'll have more room for their growing family. It's far more spacious, I suspect they'll be happy there. I'm so happy for them.

Time Goes By

Over Labor Day Weekend, I flew back home to visit family and friends. I stayed with my sister, it's always nice to catch up and see how much my favorite boy has grown. He's really developed into a full blown boy. I knew snuggly time would end at some point and it is officially over. He has a heart of gold just like his mama and he's too smart for his own good, very opinionated and a bit of drama queen king. It's never a dull moment with that boy, that's for sure.

My cousin had her first baby back in May, Max was born a bit early, but he's doing great now. He was being baptized near their home in Milwaukee, so we drove up to share in the celebration. I also booked a hotel for the night so we could spend some extra time in Milwaukee. I knew I had driven through it a number of times, but couldn't recall every actually being there. My sister had heard about the Safe House downtown and wanted to check it out.



The baptism was a nice opportunity to see family that I hadn't seen in a very long time. Ten years is along time... it was nice to be part of a family party. We've only gotten together twice since I moved, once in Vegas for my wedding and once back home when my grandpa passed away (we were only missing my brother). It was wonderful to see everyone for a happy occasion. I'm the oldest on both sides of the family. It's wild to see my cousins grown up and having families of their own, and my little cousins are in High School and Middle School. Just crazy, I tell you. I swear I haven't aged that much, but judging my them it's true. Ten years has gone by.



Bike Fest was in Milwaukee the same weekend, so it made for an interesting visit. The city rumbled and every street was lined with bikes. It was a really neat experience. I imagine on a regular weekend it is a lot more laid back. We did get to Safe House. And we were able to complete our Missions. We stayed for beers and fried Cheese Curds. Burt Reynolds heart on was our favorite.







I would've like to visit the Public Market or walk the Riverwalk but we had to get back. We stopped at Mars Cheese Castle on the way home. We had a nice brunch on the road, we filled up on cheese curds, sausage links and crackers. It was delicious!



Back in Chicago, I got to visit with friends, dear friends from High School had their first, so I also got to meet their son. Before I know it, he'll be high school. It's best if I accept that now. I also got another opportunity to see family at my cousin's going away party. She's moved to Denver to be with her boyfriend. I'm incredibly excited for her to begin this adventure. It was bittersweet for my sister, they grew incredibly close after I moved away. And now, both of her favorite ladies have moved out west.



I was also able to have lunch at Giordano's with a few cousins from my mom's side, again it's great catching up and I just can't believe how their kids have grown.





Chicago was experiencing a heat wave when I first got into town, but after some thunderstorms temps cooled - THANKFULLY - and I finally had an opportunity to go downtown. I've been wanting to go, but every trip is insanely cold or hot. We weren't about to let the beautiful day pass us by, so I drove us downtown so I could finally see Millennium Park. It is beyond weird to have grown up in Chicago, but to have only seen "the Bean" on TV and in photos.

Traffic was incredibly light it was a nice ride and the city streets were pretty empty too. All the hustle and bustle had the day off. So, we could leisurely see the sights. Cloud Gate is pretty neat, people definitely flock to see it. My favorite perspective is underneath it and along the side with the curve where the reflection melts into the sky.











After walking around Millennium Park, we strolled over to Buckingham Fountain. It was my favorite place downtown was I was young. As long as I can remember I've been fascinated by moving water and I have fond memories of running around with glow in the dark necklaces on warm summer nights.















I'm happy I was finally able to get downtown. I was also thrilled to get my fill of real egg rolls. It's what I miss most these days.



I could really go for one right now!