Indy/Chicago --- week two

Breakfast in Chicago --- Dianne, our daughter Robyn, and me.*

*Thanks to our friend Nancy who took this awesome photo of us!  -- D.

Roger here....  Ready to read about our last ten days in Indy?  

Roger, Dianne, Jay

The second week began with a full-day trip to see our friends Jay and Nancy at their new lake house on Grandview Lake near Columbus, Indiana.  The shadows in this picture hint of a series of disappointingly dark pictures.  We will do better on our next visit.

This (dark) picture gives a clue of the great outdoor living area next to the lake.  No pictures of the inside, but this renovated home is amazingly suited for an extended family of kids and grandkids.

Nice view, and wonderful shade! Good for me.


Let's look at some   brighter pictures:

Nice sandy beach and lake view

Nancy, Bandido's butt, Captain Jay, Roger

A pontoon boat ride around the lake was so relaxing.

Bandido (and his orange ball) enjoyed a dip in the lake after the cruise.

I had a great time learning to keep my balance on a paddle board.  There were a few spills initially, but Bandido plunged into the water to rescue me.  It was so endearing to see those brown eyes swimming toward me to make sure I was OK.  (There was NO holding Bandido back from "saving" his dad -- D.)

Time to go on another diet.  Need to swim more laps in the pool at Retama (and eat better again).

Later in the week we joined Jay and Nancy for dinner in Pendleton. We started at the Wine Bar for an appetizer and wine (so much for the diet).  We then walked down the street to a new restaurant (a GOOD one), Madison's.  Fine dining has arrived in Pendleton, Indiana.

We passed through the main dining area and the cool looking bar to eat outside in the alley.  

Jay, Roger, Dianne

We move inside after the mosquitos made themselves known, to enjoy the special of the day --- trout (the best I have ever had).

After a day of rest, we boarded the dogs* and made a second trip to Old Town in Chicago, this time with Jay and Nancy.  

*(This trip we boarded Bandido and Tequila at an awesome facility in Noblesville, Indiana, Dog Dayz.  I highly recommend it if you need a facility on the northeast side of Indianapolis)

Honest Abe (behind the bed)

Our hotel was the Hotel Lincoln, across the street from the Lincoln Park Zoo.  

We arrived during the annual Air and Water Show.  Traffic was heavy, but the aerial show that we were able to glimpse was fun.  

This is a renovated boutique hotel in a perfect location for the activities we wished to pursue in Chicago.  Dianne and I were on the second story with a view of the outdoor restaurant below and Lincoln Park across the street.  However the hotel was not the purpose of our visit.  Please forgive me:  

We returned to Chicago to see our daughter's show at Second City for a second time.  The line (on a Sunday) waiting for admittance indicated another full house.  We were treated as honored guests with free food, drinks and very attentive service.  Wow what fun, and what a truly special time.

Posing before the show

Just before Robyn and the other performers took the stage

After the show, we celebrated with a bottle of champagne (that Jay and Nancy bought) on the rooftop of the Hotel Lincoln.  Surreal.

Robyn, Dianne, Nancy, Jay

One of my favorite pictures of our talented, bright, and caring daughter.

The next morning Robyn joined us at the Hotel Lincoln for breakfast (opening picture) and filled us in on the possible expansion of her show.  Then, sadly, it was time to part; she left to meet a friend, and the rest of us checked out of the hotel.

We drove (or I should say, Jay drove) downtown to Ohio Avenue so that we could spend some time in Eataly (New York and Chicago) --- an Italian food and wine extravaganza.  Dianne and I did some financial damage to our portfolio before we left.

The four of us agreed that this was the most extensive offering of Italian wines that we had ever seen.  We restrained ourselves and only bought three bottles.

Dianne's choice -- Dark Chocolate and Coconut Gelatos

We could not leave without a cup of gelato.  Another hit to my diet!







The next post will be from Dayton, Ohio where Dianne is still searching for the parents of my third great-grandfather, George Norris.  Was he an alien?  Maybe we will find out.

The pet pictures of the day show our doggies on the pontoon boat at Grandview Lake.

"Let me off the boat!  I don't like this!"

Get a grip Bandido!  This is fun!

Chicago, Second City and a Talented Daughter

Roger here...  You will have to tolerate a little bit of parental bragging when reading this post.  It just cannot be helped.  

Near the end of our stay at Prophetstown State Park, we made an important side trip for two nights in Chicago.  Our daughter, Robyn, has been performing at Second City's UP Comedy Theater for the summer:  #DATEME.  Robyn developed the concept of the show.  She and friends wrote the show for the Second City stage in Hollywood, where it has been running for more than two years under a different name (UNDATEABLE).  

Second City and OK Cupid (an online dating site) liked it so much that they scheduled a run in Chicago in February.  That run was so successful that they brought it back to Chicago for the entire summer.  Dianne and I have been trying to figure out how to see it for two years.  A major reason for our swing through Indiana was so that we could finally see Robyn perform in the show that she wrote.  

Melty havarti pepper cheese on perfectly grilled buns 

The two-hour drive (in the car) from our spot in Indiana to Chicago was not the best of fun, but we did arrive safely at our hotel in The Loop.  There was one highlight --- toasted cheese sandwiches at 
Fair Oaks Farms along the way (just off I-65).  

The first order of business after checking into our hotel and parking the car was to connect with Robyn.  She took us to a nearby pub for appetizers.   We then took a cab to Old Town, where Second City is located.  We met Dianne's cousins Charles (with his wife Leslie) and Becky (with her daughter Katie) at another pub where they were finishing dinner.  It was going to be fun to have family with us during the show.

When we arrived at the theatre 45 minutes prior to the show a line was already forming.

Proud Parents pointing to "Created by Robyn Lynne Norris, written by Robyn Lynne Norris...."

Dianne and I  took a moment to pose in front of a promotional poster before getting in line.

Just one of the quirky profiles which garnered actual responses

When we were seated in the theatre three large video screens flashed pictures of the cast members.  The premise of the show is unique:

    
A friend of Robyn's in Los Angeles had asked Robyn to check her OK Cupid dating profile to "see if it was weird."  Robyn opened a profile on OK Cupid so that she could gain access to her friend's profile.   Robyn was not interested in on-line dating at the time, so she submitted a profile that was so outlandish that she thought it would not attract any responses. Wrong!  Her Crazy Cat Lady character generated all kinds of interest.  The show is based on the characters that she and her friends created.  It has been selling out throughout the summer run.


Click here to read an interview with Robyn describing the process of creating the show.

If you're in the Chicago area and want to see the show, the current run goes through September 6.

As with most Second City performances, the cast consisted of six comedic actors.  In addition to the non-stop comedy, the two-hour show had poignant moments, as well as improvisation utilizing input from the audience.   The link above gives a clearer and better description of the concept.

This was an emotional experience for mom and dad.  We were watching our daughter perform in a show that she created and wrote, in front of a full house at Second City in Chicago.  This is the place where many of the icons of comedy got their starts:  Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Steve Carell, John Candy, Bill Murray, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey and an endless list of others.  We got to see our little girl perform a very successful show in that setting --- a highlight of our lives.

Robyn and the rest of the talented cast during a "cat lady" moment

The show ended.  I quietly wiped the tears from my face.  Robyn brought the cast out to meet our family group as the audience exited the theatre.  After bidding farewell to Charles, Leslie, Becky, and Katie, we (Robyn, Dianne and I) decided to walk back to our hotel and her apartment rather than take another cab.  It was a brisk, five-mile walk along Lake Michigan.  It was exhilarating.  It was surreal.

Chicago skyline from our walk along Lake Michigan 

Wow, what a view!

Robyn didn't have to perform the next day, so she spent most of her day with us.  We met Robyn at her nearby apartment (provided by Second City).  Usually, Second City finds housing for its visiting performers near Old Town, but none was available for this run.  I think that this 38th floor apartment in The Loop was a suitable replacement, don't you?

Robyn and Dianne (her biggest fan)

The activity of the day was walking along the Chicago River.  All three of us enjoy walking and it was a beautiful day.  

Robyn and her proud dad

Here we are at the beginning of what would be a seven-and-one-half mile stroll through the city.  

We look so refreshed and energetic.  As I said, it was the beginning of the walk.

Robyn made us pose beneath the waterfall fountain

Chicago really is a beautiful city.  So many interesting buildings, water falls and things to do.

In this photo, the boat on the left is taking tourists on a river tour of Chicago's architecture.  We have taken this tour in the past.  I highly recommend it. 

 (I never realized this downtown apartment building had boat docks on the Chicago
River below the "round" parking garage, which is
beneath the round apartments above it -- D.)

Here's a closeup photo Dianne took of a flower garden on the balcony of this same apartment building:

Beautiful day to walk the city

You can rent kayaks.  I think we will wait until we get to Turkey Run State Park in a couple of days for that.

It was half-way through the walk, and we were starting to fade (at least I was).  We were also hungry. Robyn checked out good lunch spots on her iPhone.  That one across the river with the umbrellas looked good.

It was!

Can you spot the rainbow?

The walk back to Robyn's apartment was brisk.

We needed to hurry back so that we could rest before dinner.

Photo of the waterfall fountain we posed behind, taken from across the Chicago River

Robyn led the way as we walked to the Water Tower shopping area.  We became true tourists.  We visited the Hershey Chocolate shop....

.... We waited in line to buy some expensive Garrett popcorn.  I was skeptical about the wait until I tasted the popcorn.  I am actually munching on some leftovers right now.

We spent quite a bit of time trying to decide where we would eat dinner.  In the end we opted for something a little different --- tapas.  Good choice.  Yum.

View from our hotel room.  Robyn's apartment building on the left.

After a long and wonderful day we headed back to our hotel (just across the street from Robyn's apartment).



We ate breakfast with Robyn the next morning and  made a quick stop at the downtown Whole Foods and an awesome Italian marketplace, Eataly, described by Wikipedia as: 

 Eataly is the largest Italian marketplace in the world, comprising a variety of restaurants, food and beverage counters, bakery, retail items, and a cooking school.


Eataly is a foodie's wonderland, and definitely worth a return visit.  Then we said our goodbyes and drove back to West Lafayette.  The good news is that we get to see her again in two weeks when we make a return trip to Chicago with friends to see her show again before heading back to Texas.

Next stop....  Kayaking at Turkey Run State Park.

The pet photo of the day shows Bandido and Tequila at Dogwood, the luxury boarding facility they stayed in while we were gone.

Dogwood Boarding Kennels, Lafayette, Indiana

 Their "ultimate suite" opens to an outdoor area via a pet door.  Dianne paid a little extra for a webcam so we could check on them while we were in Chicago.  Looks like they were waiting for us to return.

My Poor Babies!   -- D.