Saturday, September 15, 2007

Windy City

Dean and I are going to Chicago tomorrow until Wednesday. We are going with Dean's best friend and his wife for the occasion of his (the friend's, not Dean's) thirtieth birthday. We are also using it as an excuse to belatedly celebrate our anniversary.

I'm a little nervous. I've known this couple for nine years now (since before Dean and I were a couple!), so that's not a problem. I feel weird because Dean and I aren't really one of "those couples". You know what I mean, the couple that vacations with other couples. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's just that, well, we sort of keep to ourselves. I hope we can pull this off.

Anyway, we'll be going to two Cubs games. I've never been to Wrigley field despite it being my cat's namesake. We'll be eating indulgently fatty Chicago food and probably spending too much money on Michigan Ave. I'll tell you all about it when I return.

13 comments:

Jeni said...

Have a safe trip, lots of fun too - especially at the old ball games. I have a friend here in the little village where I live (central PA) who is such a die-hard Cubbies fan, you just can't imagine. He would be so envious of your being able to go to not one, but two Cubs games, in person! He's been relegated to only ever seeing them on the old "tube" ya know!

Anonymous said...

Two games at beautiful, sunny Wriggley Field, Chicago hot dogs, Italian Beef sandwiches diped in AuJus, Uno Pizza, pastries from The Corner Bakery - it would take a really bad senario to spoil that for me!

fermicat said...

I think the couples thing would depend on the people involved. With the right mix you can have a blast! I hope that is the case for you.

Anonymous said...

Ack! You're heading straight into the bowels of hell! Be careful Natalie!

Anonymous said...

I dare you to wear a piece of Cards paraphernalia.

dr sardonicus said...

Wrigley Field is by far the best place to watch a ballgame I know of. (Although I've never been to Fenway Park.)

I'm digging a hole to bury that Cards' paraphernalia in, along with their pennant hopes.

Kelly said...

Hope you are having a wonderful time in Chicago! It is a really fun town to hang out in.

* Check out my big announcement on my bloghttp://myutopias.blogspot.com/2007/09/happy-birthday-mom.html

Beth said...

Have a wonderful trip! My husband and I keep to ourselves and I think there's nothing wrong it. I don't think there's anything worse than couples who dislike each other so much, they search for other couples to hang with. Blech. Be happy you're not like that.

Hot4Teacha said...

I totally understand, Nat - but you and Dean and Skinny and Cheri HAVE known each other for so long, so there doesn't have to be any pretending...you know, like pretending to be a "perfect couple" when you're not, or pretending to like stuff you don't just so they'll feel comfortable. You're all way past that, right? So anyway, hope you're having fun! Spend big on Michigan Ave, baby!

Anonymous said...

ahem.

dr sardonicus, I believe you meant to say World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

I don't mind seeing the Cubs make the playoffs because you know they're gonna find a way to eff it up. :)

dr sardonicus said...

That would be ten-time World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, lefty_grrrl. (Nice nickname, BTW.)

One must be realistic about such things, though. This outfit that has now lost eleven out of its last twelve bears little resemblance to the championship teams of the past. It's football season now.

If the Cubs do manage to win the NL Central (they're the Cubs, after all), I look forward to again making lots of money betting against them.

Anonymous said...

"If the Cubs do manage to win... I look forward to again making lots of money betting against them."

But of course.

Until recently, I didn't realize that the Cubs haven't even been to the WS since 1945! That's pre-Cold war. Well, technically it was right at the beginning of the Cold war, but you get what I'm saying.

I don't hate the Cubs. It's a friendly rivalry, not at all like NYY v. BOS. That gets ugly.

Yes, the team is not the same. But that's okay. They'll figure it out, and I'll be a fan either way. Plus, ASG in 2009 should make things interesting downtown.

Natalie said...

I didn't realize that the Cubs haven't even been to the WS since 1945!

Actually, WS game 4 was when the Curse of the Billy Goat was placed. Not that I believe in any of that stuff, but I am a firm believer in the self-fulfilling prophecy. I always thought the curse was way earlier, like shortly after the 1908 win but I learned a lot of Cubs history on this trip. I'll be back to write more on it after I get caught up some at work.