I decided to take a half day on Halloween, not because I wanted to go trick or treating, quite the contrary. I should explain, I work in pediatrics and most kids do in fact want to go trick or treating, so my schedule was painfully light when I decided to take my half day. I also decided it would be a prime opportunity for me to check an item off the list, off to the Chicago History Museum I went. I got off work around lunch time.
I took myself to Manny’s Deli for lunch. It’s a fairly famous spot, where Barack O’Bama and Mayor Daley would share lunch. I really didn’t know what to expect when I went there, and thankfully I got there a bit after the lunch crowd so I didn’t feel like a total moron. I walked into the deli and it looked like the line at a school cafeteria x20. Immediately upon grabbing my lunch tray I was asked by three different gentlemen manning the sandwich stations what I would like. I was overwhelmed! How could I make a decision so quickly? Without thinking I ordered a classic corned beef sandwich. It came on a plate with what looked like a giant slab of unidentifiable fried food.
The sandwich was GIANT. Between the two pieces of rye bread was enough meat for a weeks worth of sandwiches. How does one attempt to eat this sandwich? Where does one begin? I started with a fork. It was delicious. I then decided to tackle the unidentifiable fried food, I took a bite, nope still didn't know what it was. It could either have been potatoe, or corn bread odd, those two things are not exactly alike.
Onward to the Chicago History museum. The ticket was expensive, so I figured I would meander my way through the museum taking my sweet time, getting my full money's worth. Unfortunately, my interest was never peaked. I walked around the museum rather aimlessly, reading an exhibit every once in a while, but my attention was never held. In the two hours that I attempted to "soak" in the history of Chicago without doing any in depth studying, I learned that Chicago is named after a stinky onion, the world's fair had exhibits displaying torture, midgets and incubators, (I hoped that they were three different exhibits). I saw pictures of Chicago throughout history and heard music that originated in Chicago. I read about the different architects that built the world famous sky scrapers, I looked at a whole exhibit about Lincoln. Perhaps it was the 2lbs of corned beef in my belly, but I just could not get excited or interested in the museum. I was exhausted. I felt like I had a brick in my belly and I just wanted to sit down.
I grabbed pumpkin spice latte from starbucks and toasted to the perfect blustery cloudy Halloween afternoon that we were having sitting on a bench in the park adjacent to the museum. From my bench I had the lovely the pleasure of watching trick or treaters weave from house to house filling their bags with candy in the picture perfect Gold Coast neighborhood.
This is what I was missing in the museum, I wasn't outside, I wasn't enjoying what Halloween was for me. Halloween is always about the tradition or being outside come rain or shine. It was about pumpkins and candy and kids gleefully comparing candy bags to see who's was more full. It was about the homemade costumes that got completely covered up because mom always insisted that we wore a coat to protect us from the chill in the air. It was perfect. This was halloween!
I took myself to Manny’s Deli for lunch. It’s a fairly famous spot, where Barack O’Bama and Mayor Daley would share lunch. I really didn’t know what to expect when I went there, and thankfully I got there a bit after the lunch crowd so I didn’t feel like a total moron. I walked into the deli and it looked like the line at a school cafeteria x20. Immediately upon grabbing my lunch tray I was asked by three different gentlemen manning the sandwich stations what I would like. I was overwhelmed! How could I make a decision so quickly? Without thinking I ordered a classic corned beef sandwich. It came on a plate with what looked like a giant slab of unidentifiable fried food.
The sandwich was GIANT. Between the two pieces of rye bread was enough meat for a weeks worth of sandwiches. How does one attempt to eat this sandwich? Where does one begin? I started with a fork. It was delicious. I then decided to tackle the unidentifiable fried food, I took a bite, nope still didn't know what it was. It could either have been potatoe, or corn bread odd, those two things are not exactly alike.
Onward to the Chicago History museum. The ticket was expensive, so I figured I would meander my way through the museum taking my sweet time, getting my full money's worth. Unfortunately, my interest was never peaked. I walked around the museum rather aimlessly, reading an exhibit every once in a while, but my attention was never held. In the two hours that I attempted to "soak" in the history of Chicago without doing any in depth studying, I learned that Chicago is named after a stinky onion, the world's fair had exhibits displaying torture, midgets and incubators, (I hoped that they were three different exhibits). I saw pictures of Chicago throughout history and heard music that originated in Chicago. I read about the different architects that built the world famous sky scrapers, I looked at a whole exhibit about Lincoln. Perhaps it was the 2lbs of corned beef in my belly, but I just could not get excited or interested in the museum. I was exhausted. I felt like I had a brick in my belly and I just wanted to sit down.
I grabbed pumpkin spice latte from starbucks and toasted to the perfect blustery cloudy Halloween afternoon that we were having sitting on a bench in the park adjacent to the museum. From my bench I had the lovely the pleasure of watching trick or treaters weave from house to house filling their bags with candy in the picture perfect Gold Coast neighborhood.
This is what I was missing in the museum, I wasn't outside, I wasn't enjoying what Halloween was for me. Halloween is always about the tradition or being outside come rain or shine. It was about pumpkins and candy and kids gleefully comparing candy bags to see who's was more full. It was about the homemade costumes that got completely covered up because mom always insisted that we wore a coat to protect us from the chill in the air. It was perfect. This was halloween!
