WARNING: this is a LONG post for a LONG weekend!
The BOY and I have had two fantastic weekends!
Last weekend, we did our weekend getaway to Wisconsin and this weekend, we went down to Chicago. But first, we decided to sleep in and play Saturday morning by ear. Since I wasn’t running the race, we had tons of possibilities. I didn’t set an alarm and took my time drinking my morning tea and enjoying a breakfast stirfry.
Then, the BOY and I went out to play tennis in the sunshine. Our usual outdoor court was full, but we were able to find another available court near by.
It took us a little bit of time to get into our groove, but once we did, it was really fun. That might be because I won almost half the games!
After tennis, we picked up a light lunch at Panera and then swung by DSW for new shoes to support my foot during tennis. We went back home to pack up our stuff for the city and then hit the road. We got downtown around 4pm and decided to walk up and down Southport doing a bit of shopping. Then we ordered Thai food for dinner, planning to bring it in to watch the Hawks game (just like last year).
While we waited for dinner, we grabbed a beer at The Green Lady, which has tons of local Chicago and Illinois beers on tap. We both tried something new that we really liked!
We picked up our dinner and walked back to my brother’s where we were staying. One of my favorite things about staying in Lakeview is all of the walking that we do. And what little time I spend in my car! We cracked open a bottle of Napa wine and sucked down our amazing Thai dinner during the exciting game.
Unfortunately, I was not able to stay awake for the two over times, but was happy to see that the Hawks pulled off the win. My alarm went off at 6am Sunday morning and it took me some time to get organized. By 6:30, I had some (but not enough) air in my tires and was heading east to Lake Shore Drive.
My goal was to get down to Grant Park where I knew there were a few different bike shops offering free support to the riders. The weather was a bit unpredictable and a few miles in, it was clear that I would need my jacket to keep me warm and dry.
I made it down to the park, and was lucky to find some friendly guys to put air in my tires. Then, I was back on the drive heading south towards the museum. There were bouts of rain throughout, but the roads were still packed with riders.
At the south end, I stopped for a quick snack, chatting with some other riders before hopping back on the drive north towards Soldier Field.
I rode 15 miles up north to the Bryn Mar turnaround, stopping to take a few photos along the way.
At the north end, I stopped again to stretch my legs. It seemed that maybe the rain was going to stop, but as I headed back to where I began, it picked back up. It was clear that after a chilly (but totally awesome) 30+ mile morning on my bike, a latte was needed : )
When I arrived back home, the BOY was awake and ready for breakfast. We walked over to Wishbone, where I had the most delicious breakfast sandwich and potatoes! I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the food came out and I scarfed it down.
We walked back and packed up our car to head back to the suburbs. It continued to rain on and off, which was perfect to crash on the couch and watch a Lifetime movie. Around 2pm, it looked like the sun was starting to creep out, so the BOY suggested tennis. I was excited to try out my new shoes, so I agreed. I was also excited that after my longest bike ride of the year, my legs felt good enough to play tennis.
40 minutes in, the rain returned and sent us back to our car. We had a fun birthday party for the BOY’s aunt Sunday night. We decided to have a little more fun when we got home, so we opened up a bottle of wine and played Yahtzee (a new game we picked up in Wisconsin).
It was funny to watch Cooper chase after the dice! We slept in again this morning and then I ran off to the store to pick up mimosas and fruit for Memorial Day brunch with my friends and their kids.
We had so much fun and then the rest of Monday just flew by…next thing I knew it was dinner time and the BOY was marinating ribs. YUM!
It was definitely a carefree weekend, and I was happy to pack so much in. But now I am exhausted and ready to crash on my couch. I wish I had just one more day of weekend…then I would be able to stay up late enough to watch tonight’s Hawks game!
What did you do this weekend?