Easter Weekend with the Chicago Thomases

Since leaving downtown Chicago last Thursday, I’ve been staying with my brother, Ken, and his family in their beautiful home in Plainfield, IL. He and his wife, Jean, have created a comfortable, welcoming oasis in their corner of Suburbia and I’ve enjoyed this opportunity to reconnect with my youngest brother and his family! It’s been a real treat to share briefly in their busy and interesting lives and hearing a bit of their hopes and dreams. We’ve played cards, gone for walks, visited the surrounding area, died Easter eggs, danced to the Wii and eaten wonderful meals! It’s been a perfect break from life on the road!

Meet my brother and his family:

Kaylyn, Candice, Elizabeth, Sean, Jean, Ken, Ryan

Ken is working out of the home now as a Field Operations Manager for Integration Partners, a data and voice network company. He is good at what he does – having grown his staff 3-fold in the 8 months that he’s been working for them – and seems to enjoy it.  That makes 3 of 4 of my siblings that work out of the home. Hmm, it must be because we are responsible and reliable, right?! Ken is the go to guy in this house for fixing computers, remodeling bathrooms, moving doors and generally fixing what needs to be fixed. But, he's about to embark on a pursuit of his personal passion for flying: he's going to build his own plane!

Jean's Gingerbread Shoppe

Jean is a talented crafts maker with a skilled eye for display. Their guest room is a great example of that – I’m sleeping in a room of Easter bunnies and bears and cute signs and great scents! She and Ken are taking advantage of her vision and skills. They have leased a storefront on the main street of Plainfield in the artsy downtown area of their community where Jean plans to sell her own crafts along with creations from artisans around the world. Their plans seem to have considered every variable and the potential for success is very exciting!

Kaylyn in her Versa

Ken and Jean have three bright, friendly, and welcoming daughters. Kaylyn, their youngest and a high school junior, is the only child left in the nest. She has a ready smile and is always ready to join in the fun (except for dying Easter eggs after a long day at work – go figure). She misses her sisters, but is busy with work and school and the Color Guard for her high school band. Next week she sits for the ACTs and is starting to look ahead to studying music education or music therapy at a college someplace WARM (we hope she chooses ECU)! Kaylyn is the proud owner of a new-to-her Nissan Versa and is an excellent driver – which I can say from experience!

Candice, their oldest daughter, is a sophomore at Lewis University in the romantically named town of Romeoville, where she is studying Criminal Justice and Forensic Science.  Candice is warm and laughs easily, bantering teasingly with Ken and her mom like good friends. She has a boyfriend, Ryan, who is an EMT and they seem to really have fun together. Candice is between jobs at this point, which allows her to focus on her studies and – lucky for me – spend more time with her family!

The Exelon Nuclear Garden

Elizabeth, their middle daughter, is at Joliet Junior College and hopes to go to the University of Illinois at Chicago to finish her degree in Elementary Education. She is bright and grasps irony quickly. While walking past a garden sponsored by Exelon Nuclear, she spotted the irony in all of the dead grass around the sign – a subtle but powerful point the rest of us had missed! Her boyfriend, Sean, is also hoping to teach but is looking to teach math at the high school or college level. She is working the graveyard shift and providing childcare for a curious 3 year old, all the while finding time to study – and to visit with her grateful aunt!

Traveling in Style

Yesterday I learned what it’s like to travel in style: the romantic style of train travel from books and old movies.

Not realizing I was special, I had waited with the commoners prior to boarding the train to Chicago. When the time came to board, the Amtrak attendant called me - and a couple of others who weren’t aware of their true and proper status - up to the front of the line and told us that we should have waited in the “members only” section along with the other sleeping car travelers. We had missed out on the opportunity for waiting in comfort with drinks and snacks at our fingertips and a place to store our luggage for free. We should have known better.

The Capitol Limited Train

My Roomette

As we sleeping car travelers walked out to the tallest train I’d ever seen, I realized the full coolness of my trip.  And then I saw the roomette!! After sleeping with strangers – and trying not to sleep ON strangers – in coach, I was overwhelmed with having not one, but two large seats and a door all to myself!! I believe I took 10 pictures, one from every possible angle! There was a closet, and a towel and two washcloths, and water, too! Snacks, coffee, juice, and more water – all free (well, already paid for) – were just down the hall. There was even a shower! The dining room attendant came by and asked what time I would like to dine. Since meals are included when you’re a sleeping car traveler, I chose 6 pm. Then the sleeping car attendant came by to see what time he could “turn down” my bed for me. I told him that 10 pm would be perfect. I am learning to enjoy sleeping car life.

Dining In Style

Dining on the upper level of a two-story train was better than I had ever imagined! Sharing a table and conversation with other travelers while being served a 3-course meal and watching the mountains and rivers roll by out the window was straight out of an Agatha Christie movie (without the murder – so far as I know). The food was actually quite good and went well with the bottle of wine I bought (which helped me with the ‘conversation with other travelers’ part). Then, at bed time, the rock and roll of the train, the rattle of the track, and the soft sound of the train whistle helped me to enjoy a good night of sleep! Not a “home in my own bed” kind of night, but better than any other means of travel!

Chicago from the Train

"The Picasso"

"The Bean"

After arriving in Chicago this morning, I had about 8 hours to kill before heading out to my brother’s house. So I set out to get a feel for Obama’s hometown. I learned tidbits about Chicago’s modern, post modern and contemporary architecture on a walking tour of “Modern Skyscrapers,” including the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower and the Trump Tower. I visited “The Picasso”, which has been wearing a Black Hawks helmet ever since they won the Stanley Cup in the hopes of a repeat victory. And I found a much-needed sunny bench in Millennium Park for my picnic where I was entertained by the unusual artwork of “The Bean” and the huge faces in the Crown Fountain.  A sampling of Chicago that left me wanting more…

Washington, DC

 Welcome to my first attempt at a blog! I promise it will get better...!

On April 18 I packed my bags and boarded the train to head west. Other than running a little late the first leg of the train trip, which took me to Washington DC, was pretty uneventful. When I got to DC I had to navigate the Metro to get out of the city and that was interesting. Finally a nearby drunk helped me push the buttons and enter my cast to get a pass. I was nice and gave him 15 cents for his efforts.

The next two evenings I stayed with my friends Nancy and Glenn. Without going into details, it was a WONDERFUL visit!  One of those why haven't we done this more often kind of things.

Museum of the American Indian

On Tuesday, while they were at work, I headed back into DC to be a tourist. I did need the help of the drunk again, but had to figure it out on my own - and did! Actually got back into the city all by myself and wandered around the National Mall. The Museum of the American Indian was fascinating. The introductory movie was the best I've ever seen - a media event with movies on the dome, movies on the screen and movies on the big stone in the middle of the room. All were synced so that we were immersed in the setting. The displays of different Indian nations were filled with profound native philosophies and inviting glimpses into the past and present of these culture. My brain filled up fast so I left to picnic on the Mall.

Mud Man

Crochet Reef

After filling my stomach and resting my brain, I ventured down the Mall, breezing past the Hirschorn Sculpture Garden, where I met Mud Man (my name, don't know what the actual title is), and ending up at the Museum of Natural History. Me and a hundred thousand families and school groups. Despite the crowds, the displays were relatively easy to access and captivating. I saw ocean life and cave men and bones and THE mastodon. The crocheted reef - done by folks from the community - was especially interesting! Once again, my brain shut down after seeing only about 30% of the offerings. Full, but very satisfied!

Today I get back on the train - this time a Roomette, very upscale - and head to Chicago...