In the comments RzDrms asked for details on our recent trip to Chicago. I'm bad about writing about the trips we take - while we're on the trip I don't want to take time to write, and when we get back trying to summarize the trip is completely overwhelming. For that reason I still haven't written much about our trip in May to the Pacific Northwest. (That and the fact that we haven't even gone through all the photos yet...gah!) But I do like documenting our travels, for our own sake, so I appreciate the request!

A couple weeks ago we went to Chicago with Rob's team from work and their significant others. This was a fun trip, a reward for working their asses off (and also ostensibly an opportunity for "team-building"). The cool thing about Rob's team is that they're all friends and so spending four days with co-workers was not hell on earth but actually a pretty rockin' time.

The team-building began the first evening when our group of 14 tried to choose food from a family-style menu. For the record, certain foods are polarizing issues. Forget immigration or abortion. You want to get a group riled up? Suggest a salad with bleu cheese and olives. I'm just saying. Add to that the food allergies, diets, and general dislikes, and choosing appetizers and entrées to share becomes quite a task. Being a spouse and not a co-worker, I had decided to sit back and let them figure it out. Twenty minutes later, I found myself placing the order with the waiter because I had emerged as the one in charge. That should tell you a lot about me.

We did lots of cool things, skipping the touristy stuff since most of us had been to Chicago before. A few highlights...

Whirlyball.
Yeah, we'd never heard of this either. Think lacrosse in bumper cars on a basketball court. Our Chicago friend suggested it, and it is freaking awesome. That means a lot coming from me, since I don't like fun and all. But this was a blast! And I actually scored a goal!

Second City.
This comedy troupe is one of the "farm leagues" for Saturday Night Live. Lots of famous people got their start here. The show was hilarious, especially when they were doing improv.

Limo ride.
We rented a limo one night for a pub crawl. I had never been in a limo before. It wasn't really what I expected, but then I didn't really know what to expect. The truth is, being in the limo made me feel kinda cheap. This might be because I was with a large group and so it felt high school prom tacky or something. Of course, Rob and I rode in the make-out annex in the back, so it basically was like high school prom. One of my favorite moments of the evening came when we pulled up to a bar, the driver came around to open the door, and the first person out emerged from the limo and then turned around, laughing, and said, "Everyone in the bar was just watching to see who was in the limo, and the door opened...and it was ME!" She's a hoot, and I'm sure she totally owned it. I couldn't actually see her given that I was hastily putting my clothes back on.

Marathon.
The weather on this trip was warmer than when we were there last June. Which was awesome for us, but not so awesome for the marathon. Rob and I watched a little of it on Sunday morning, before the temperatures rose to dangerous levels and they called off the race. It's an amazing thing to see. Reminded me of the time we saw the Gay Pride Parade in New York, actually. All these people moving down the street with a huge crowd of loved ones and strangers yelling encouragement to them, proud of who they are or what they're doing. It's very emotional. You can't help but cheer along and even tear up a little.

Second time around, I still really love this city.