Made it to the City of Big Shoulders

I biked the last 18.7 miles into Chicago today. Virtually, of course. After leaving Winnetka, I tootled down Green Bay Road to Wilmette, taking a detour to see the Bahai Temple, which looms up at your, all white and lotus-blossomy. It's the one and only Bahai Temple on the North American continent. Then, into Evanston, stopping at the Spice House to grab some double-strength vanilla extract and Sunny Paris seasoning mix for the road. I made a trip around the Evanston Hospital, now know as Northshore something or other, in honor of my mom, visiting us from upstate New York this summer, underwent 8 hours of surgery (24 hours, according to her) to remove her gall bladder and some other bits. I continued to listen to Chicago tunes as I rode, the first three albums. I fell in love with this band when I was in 7th grade, back in the early 70s. I began taking trombone lessons because I thought James Pankow was the hottest man on Earth. I met him a couple of years ago, at a concert in Waukegan, at the Genessee Theater, and, frankly, he was a LOT shorter than I expected him to be. Don't get me wrong, I would still do him, but the other horn players, Walt Parazaider and Lee Loughnane, man, they are two tall, hunky drinks of water. So, here I am in Chicago, I'm going to stay at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, because, obviously, money is no object. I'm going to spend tomorrow exploring this town and getting ready to hit the Mother Road on Thursday.