Chessquest

Goddesschess' Seventh Anniversary!!!!!

Part 3

After viewing the Tlingit "chess-like" game, the foursome took a late lunch break in the museum's conveniently offered McDonalds restaurant in the lower level (yes, another McDonalds visit).  The lower level of the museum offers windows and access to the outside.  The hot and muggy weather of earlier had given way to drizzling rain.  The rain wasn't enough to deter a planned air show over the lake front and as they ate Georgia, Michelle, Jan and Don were entertained by U.S. military jets flying overhead in close formation and performing aerial acrobatics.  After a cigarette break (done under opened umbrellas in a small atrium outside the restaurant), the four split up again and headed off in different directions.

Jan and Don headed back to the exhibit halls while Georgia and Michelle headed toward the Shedd Aquarium.  Too soon, it was 5 p.m. and the Field Museum was closing!  It was still raining, but the temperature had not cooled, the heat and humidity remained.  After checking in via cell phone with Georgia, Don and Jan headed toward the Chicago Public Library while Georgia and Michelle stayed at the aquarium until its 6 p.m. close.

Unfortunately, the library (with it's fantastic architecture) was closed when Jan and Don got there - who knew it closes at 5 p.m. on a Friday evening?  Geez, even in rinky-dink Milwaukee the libraries stay open until 6 p.m. on a Friday night.  But there was plenty of sight-seeing to do in the Loop, and the couple spent a leisurely couple of hours strolling, talking and discussing the various architectural landmarks.  Before heading to the rendezvous point to meet with Georgia and Michelle (the McDonalds restaurant where they'd had breakfast that morning), the couple stopped for a leisurely cup of java while Jan rested her sore feet.  The rendezvous was not without a hitch - miscommunication!  Don and Jan ended up at one McDonalds, and Georgia and Michelle ended up at another - a couple of blocks away.  No matter.  Everyone met up at Union Station and left right on time on the 8:05 p.m. back to Milwaukee.  Oh, our sore aching feet!

Despite being tired, everyone was too wired to go to bed once they got back to Jan's place.  Pizza!  Videos!  Lots of talk and laughter.  Jan headed to bed shortly after midnight and left the others downstairs - they finally called it a night about 3 or 4 a.m.

Saturday, August 19th, dawned bright and beautiful.  The temperature was cooler, the air was less humid, and there was a nice breeze.  It was perfect weather to do yard work and celebrate Jan's birthday.  Jan arose at her usual 6 a.m.  Don sauntered into the kitchen about an hour later.  The sleeping beauties (Georgia and Michelle) slept in while Jan mowed the lawn and Don edged the two large garden beds in Jan's backyard.  

After such hard work, the couple cooled down and spent a leisurely early afternoon chatting on the deck underneath the shade of the umbrella and trees while Georgia and Michelle slept on.  After the sleeping beauties arose, everyone walked to the supermarket to do another round of shopping for the big cook-out set for that evening.

One of Jan's best friends, Ann, was invited to join the birthday celebration Saturday evening, and it was a merry group who met on the deck.  The menu included hamburgers, bratwurst, homemade potato salad and baked beans.  Don was the charcoal starter.  Georgia made up the burgers using Jan's recipe of chopped onion, eggs and bread and was in charge of the grill. Jan made her classic potato salad (boiled baby red potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and a secret sauce).  A relish dish and munchies accompanied the meal.  Ann brought custard for dessert from the world-famous Leon's custard stand.  As the sun went down, candles and oil lamps lit up the table and deck and laughter and lively conversation hummed on the mild night air.  Everyone ate too much, everyone had a great time, and everyone knew better than to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jan.  After Ann left for the evening, Georgia, Michelle, Don and Jan discussed the history of the board games and the history of the goddess (with a liberal sprinkling of current events thrown in) late into the night.

Sunday, August 20th, dawned clear and cool.  It was so cool, in fact, (in the 50's) that Jan and Don drank their early morning coffee and read the newspaper on the deck muffled in woven afghans, and later Jan recommended that everyone take a jacket with them for their visit to Irish Fest on Milwaukee's lake front (it can get cold on the waterfront).  As fate would have it, by 1:00 p.m. as they were traveling on the bus, it was hot, muggy and sunny.  Prudent Jan was the only one of the four lugging an unneeded jacket.  Jan gave a mini-history lesson on the settlement of Milwaukee as the bus passed from her neighborhood to the lake front, a 50 minute ride.

Milwaukee's Irish Fest is a celebration of Celtic culture, and there were historic displays, ethnic food, goods to buy and lots of toe-tapping Irish music and dancing. The foursome spent half a day at the lakefront festival watching the dancers, listening to the music, and browsing through shops featuring authentic "Made in Ireland" goods.  They headed home about 5 p.m.

Sunday night was a quiet one.  Everyone was tired, and Don, Georgia and Michelle would be leaving for their homes the next day.  The mood was a bit wistful. The foursome once again convened on the deck and fed peanuts to the squirrels and chipmunks until sundown, they relaxed in candlelight in the darkness.  There was not much serious talk.  Later in the evening they retired inside to watch some movies on DVD.  Supper was left-overs for whoever was hungry. 

Monday morning (August 21) Jan awoke at her usual 6 a.m. with a bad case of sunburn.  Her face, throat and arms were all bright red - and threw off enough heat to fry an egg.  Don did not escape - he was also red across his forehead, nose and cheekbones.  The bright sunshine reflecting off the lake during their visit to Irish Fest had done them in.  Don rose early and finished his packing, and then he and Jan spent a couple of hours trying to figure out how to hook up her recently ordered DSL.  After some attempts and viewing the DVD instruction video a couple of times, it was determined that Jan's DSL cable wasn't long enough to allow her to keep the computer in the den/library, it would have to be moved closer to the sole telephone jack on the second floor ( a project for another day).  All too soon, Don's taxi arrived and swept him away to the airport, well before 11 a.m.  Georgia's and Michelle's flight home wasn't until 8 p.m., so the ladies had the rest of the day to relax on the deck, talk and make plans.  In the early afternoon they strolled to a local eatery and had a leisurely lunch.  Then, as so often happens at the end of a vacation, the time to leave was upon them too quickly.  The telephone rang.  It was the taxi driver.  Jan wasn't quite clear on what he was saying in his heavily accented English, but it turned out he had arrived early and was parked outside in the driveway!  The surprised ladies opened the front door to see the taxi there, 20 minutes early. The driver thought it was a great joke!  Tearful goodbyes were exchanged and the ladies waved and called to each other until the taxi, with Michelle hanging out of one of the side windows waving and calling her goodbyes, turned a far corner and drove out of sight.

Goddesschess' Seventh Anniversary Part 1 
Goddesschess' Seventh Anniversary Part 2 
Seventh Anniversary Photos 1 
Seventh Anniversary Photos 2