This afternoon was a beautiful bike ride up to the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Our first “kick-off” Garden ride for Chris & I… hoping to get back into the weekly routine!
The ride was great. The weather was great. And the gardens are already in bloom.
Crazy?!… it’s only April 2nd… we don’t usually get to ride up there for another month!!!

Plus, as if the ride & garden weren’t enough, we also counted 51 white-tailed deer
along the sides of the bike trail going up & back. Some in the fields, or hiding in the woods…
others right there on the trail. That’s somewhere around a deer-and-a-half per mile!!!

Today was a day of culture & fun… culture for Taylor & fun for ME!!!
My favorite niece Taylor is on Spring Break this week and chose to come downtown
to spend a today at the Art Institute with me today! So my sister Jennifer packed ’em up
and headed downtown, along with one of her co-workers, her son Gabe… and Flat Stanley!
You know that scrappy, little flat guy gets to travel the world more than you & me!!!

Soon we were inside and visually overwhelmed – just like everyone else there! We toured
pretty much the entire Museum, starting in the original part with Japanese arts & ceramics,
Indian artifacts, glass paperweights, tapestries, furniture and so much more. We went down
to the Garden Cafe, past the Chagall Stained Glass windows… which were unfortunately
obstructed for routine maintenance. After lunch, we headed to the fun stuff… Picasso, Monet,
Gauguin, Cezzane, O’Keefe, Van Gogh, and the rest of the Masters! As always, the highlight
for most kids is Georges Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grand Jatte.”

We also worked out way through the sculptures and the Chicago architectural pieces by
Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan. The beautiful Sullivan gates were a perfect photo op
for Taylor & Stanley… apparently, “T” is for Taylor!

Before we left the original Museum space, we did stop off at the Thorne Miniature Rooms.
What little 7-year old doesn’t like exquisitely made, masterpiece doll houses?!

Then, we went over to the new Modern Wing of the Museum. I question a lot of what’s there…
I think my sister was hoping that I would be able to “explain” some of the things they call “art”
in the Modern Wing. Sadly, I couldn’t. I’ve never subscribed to the concept of “I’m an artist
and therefore anything I make is art.” Seriously, some of them are drop cloths! Or scribbles!
And even if I don’t quite “get it, I would still appreciate it if the craftsmanship was well-done.
Apparently, that didn’t matter for the American Modern Artists. At least the European’s I can
appreciate. Maybe not like them, but at least admire them for what they are. Picasso, Dali,
Kandinsky, Giaccometti, Goncharova… and my favorite Surrealist Rene Magritte!

The city was beautiful this morning. The sky was clear and the sun was shining!
And surprisingly warm… so I decided to ride my bike downtown to watch them dye
the Chicago River a beautiful shade of Irish Green! An annual tradition here in Chicago.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY CHICAGO!!!

Let the games begin… and let the color “splash” across the Chicago River.

So the first boat drops the orange dye into the water… yes ORANGE!!!
The orange powder surprisingly turns an oddly phosphorescent lime green in the water!
As the powder is dropped in, the second boat follows closely to stir it up into the river.

After several passes back & forth, the river has taken on a vibrant shade of green.
Striking as it spreads and changes the entire look of downtown for one Irish day!

The dyeing of the river is an annual tradition, and yet somehow, I’ve never been downtown
to actually see them do it. But this being a Saturday, and an unusually sunny & warm day,
I thought it would be fitting to ride my bike down. I thought I was on top of my game.
Until I saw a bunch of kayakers in the river… color me JEALOUS!!!…
thinking I might need to try that next year?! What better vantage point could you find, huh?

And to top off the morning… they were passing out free swag!
Well it’s not my favorite flavor, but it was free… and oddly fitting for today! I guess their
marketing team gets this one day each year to promote their product!

I love when my “glitter gig” lets me “escape” and go wild… like almost always!
And this afternoon was a fun escape to the Lincoln Park Zoo for a pre-site visit
for an upcoming holiday project! It was a beautiful day to play outside!

Well, I survived… which was my primary goal.
And had a great time doing it, which was an added bonus!

The whole point of my triathlon experience was to prove to myself that I could do it
and finish confidently. To not be in pain. To not be injured. To not die out there.
I wanted to cross the finish line with the feeling of success. Proud of my accomplishment.
And I did. But it was a long journey getting there.

Sure I could have started to swim a little sooner… sure I could have taken swim lessons.
Sure I should have run more practice miles… run further, smoother, quicker.
Sure I could have done a lot of things. But I did what I could. And I was ready to go.

Days Prior.
In the days leading up to the Triathlon, I was trying to get in as much training as possible.
Swimming in the lake as part of my morning sunrise bike ride. Jogging whenever I could
find the time. But at some point, you need to stop and rest before the big day.

I really started to get excited when I went for the the official check-in, packet pick-up,
body marking and Tri Expo. And then, it was also great to meet up with one of my old
college roommates Ken… who was up for the Tri from Florida. And even more fun to meet
up with one of my fraternity Little Sisters Pammy who was also up to do the Triathlon…
even if she only did the Sprint version!!! So the Chicago Triathlon was quickly becoming
a fun social event, as well as the physical challenge! It started becoming fun!

Early Morning.
My triathlon morning started very early. Leaving the house at 3:45am in complete darkness
with all of my gear. Ready to get check-in to the transition area and get my bike & gear all
set up and ready for the race. With advice from several friends, I tried to set up my transition
area for the day. Including my bright green striped beach towel which I draped over my bike
as a great visual clue to find my bike in the transition area amongst the thousands of bikes
that fill the transition area. Planning ahead to “find” my bike after the big swim!!!

After setting up my transition space, it was then time to wait for my wave start time.
Which gave me over two hours to wait. Luckily, there was a beautiful sunrise to watch.

Pre-Swim Nerves.
Sitting & waiting by the side of the lake. Watching hundreds of other people getting into
the lake and starting their swim. I was a little concerned with how choppy the waves were.
Definitely the roughest waves that I’ve ever tried to swim in… and here’s me with my already
questionable swimming abilities. It didn’t help any to see people clinging to the sides of the
lifeguard boats… or even worse, literally being pulled out of the water and into the boats
within the first 100-yards  of starting. DONE… so soon, because the waves were too strong!
Luckily, there were lifeguards everywhere!!! Just in case…

First up, my friend Pam was getting ready for her swim. Her Sprint wave was almost an hour
before mine. So she got to “wiggle” into her wetsuit before I had to… which she was dreading!
And she’s going to kill me for showing these photos… but she was just too cute!

Then it was time for me to get ready for my swim… put on my wetsuit, which let me just say…
is not the most flattering of things to wear!!! Tight in all the wrong places.  Yikes!

Sadly… I packed my camera away for the swim… so the photos are far fewer from this point.
I hope to add more as I get some from friends or the official Tri Photographers!
Like these from my friend Claire, who was there watching for her boyfriend Dave….

The 1-Mile Swim.
So finally it was my turn. As my wave got closer & closer, the nerves got higher & higher.
And yet there was an odd sort of calmness… knowing it is what it is. I had done as much as I
could at that point. So I put on my goggles & purple swim cap, jumped in and started my
swim. Slowly. Not let me just point out, that I’ve only been swimming for about three weeks.
And if I had more time, I definitely should have taken some swim lessons. But I didn’t.
Instead, I spent my morning swims “perfecting” the side-stroke. So yes, there I was
surrounded by people who knew how to swim… and I did the side-stroke the ENTIRE way!!!
So crowded much of the time that other people were literally swimming over me, pushing
me out of the way, knocking, kicking & punching… sounds like fun, huh?! Part of the day.
And no one told me about the seaweed I would have to swim through… didn’t plan on that!

And there goes my wave (below) with purple swim caps… and hundreds of orange Gatorade
bags full of things people wanted to keep safe during their swim! Luckily, my parents were
there to cheer me on… take a few pictures… and hold my bag!

So after the swim, you climb out of the lake with assistance, then run to the Transition Area
to change and get on your bike. Not a fun run from lake to hillside in bare feet, trying not to
step on anything sharp… and further than you’d like to run, especially after swimming a mile!

The 25-Mile Bike.
Finally… a section of the race that I feel comfortable with. I was expecting this to be the
“easy” part. I never planned on today being the windiest day of the past month!!! And as luck
would have it, the first part of the ride north on Lake Shore Drive was straight into the wind!!!
Killer headwinds! It was tough getting up to speed, with the wind and surrounded by other
riders on a crowded Lake Shore Drive. Some passing on the right (which is opposite from
bike rides) and keeping a cautious eye in the huge grooves & potholes in the road. Luckily,
when I finally got to the north turn-around, it was a nice tailwind all the way back. But then,
as part of the International Distance Triathlon, you need to do the loop twice!!!
So it was back into the wind for me!!!

The 6.5-Mile Run.
So I made it back to the transition area and switched my shoes. My transition times were by
no means fast. I was more concerned about getting everything done, grabbing a quick snack,
drinking some water and prepping for the next leg. So when I finally started running, I was
feeling pretty good. Okay, well maybe after the first 1/2-mile. It was a weird feeling getting off
the bike and switching to running right away. Like my legs weren’t quite going in the right
direction?! But finally things started moving correctly, and I was off on my run. Again, I am
by no means fast! I’ve only been running for a month or two. Slow & steady… I was going well
until I felt a sharp pain in my left knee as we started going up a hill just after Shedd Aquarium.
So I opted for safety and self-preservation and walked up that hill. I also walked once when I
couldn’t get my “snack” out of my running belt. I was fidgeting & running, couldn’t do it.
So I had to stop for a quick snack, then it was back to the jog. Slow & steady… down past
McCormick Place and back up to Grant Park.

The Finish Line.
So as you turn left around the Field Museum, and head under the Lake Shore Drive bridge
into Grant Park, it was great to see the crowds of spectators, balloons and just a hint of the
Finish Line!!! Funny how you get a sudden burst of energy as soon as you know it’s almost
over?! Almost there... I saw Claire & Dave on the sidelines, then I ran through the Finish Line
triumphantly!!! Heard my name announced as I crossed, got my medal, more Gatorade…
and a wet towel. As I “walked it off”… I found my proud parents waiting for me by the finish
corral. After the race, we hung out for awhile… then I got to see my friend Pam again for
awhile. Then it was it was back to the transition area to claim my bike & my belongings.
To call it a day. Done.

The Rewards.
So now I have proved to myself that I can do it. Which was my entire point to this adventure.
It wasn’t about racing. It wasn’t about my time. I just wanted to finish confidently. And I did.
Even when I got to the finish, I still felt like I could have gone further. Not that I wanted to…
but I think I could have swam further, biked further and run further! It was a great feeling
to realize that I had achieved my goals. Trained appropriately. Did the work. And made it.

And, oh, but wait there’s more…
not only did I finish well, but then I felt like I had a “free pass” to eat anything & everything!!!
So my parents and I went to my favorite restaurant “Rose Angeli’s” for dinner. And had an
incredible special concoction of portobello mushroom raviolis, dark cherries, almonds,
more portobello mushrooms and a wonderful cream sauce!!! Yum… not to mention the huge
plate of bread pudding & hot caramel sauce… or the caramel sauce soaked pound cake!!!
Thank you again Catherine…

One week from today… and I will hopefully have “survived” the challenge!
And will have completed my very first Chicago Triathlon.
Which is my only goal. To prove to myself that I can actually do this!!!
Fingers crossed… still training… still anxious…

Chicago Triathlon – Sunday, August 28th
1-mile swim  -  25 mile bike  -  6.5 mile run  -  collapse…

Does it matter that I don’t really know how to swim???…
and I only run when someone is chasing me?!!!

As the start of school is right around the corner, my 6-year old niece Taylor
wanted to squeeze in another trip to the studio to play in some mud. So we made plans
and played with some clay after summer camp today. She stopped by Lillstreet
with her mom (my sister Jennifer) and her grandparents (my Mom & Dad). We set out
to make some quick leaf-relief-stencil plates. We went outside to find some “good” leaves
with nice outlines and strong veins. We pressed them into some stoneware slabs and
painted over them with colored slip. As always… she was VERY focused on her project!

And then, after letting the slip dry for a few minutes, we carefully peeled out the leaves
to reveal the leaf reliefs!

Next we took our slabs and draped them over a few handmade “frame” molds. After pressing
the slabs carefully into place, we trimmed off the excess edges & finished them off. They are
now set to dry… and after they’re fired, I will glaze the plates in the their “chosen” glaze color!

We headed down to Navy Pier to continue her fun day in Chicago!

Little did she know it, but I had also arranged for her to attend a surprise performance
of “Cirque Shanghai Extreme” on the Skyline Stage on Navy Pier. My friend Kim is the
Production Manager, and she graciously “hooked us up” for the show! And Taylor loved it…
she was mesmerized during the show. Especially when the acrobats came out over
the audience and performed just feet above her!

And then, oh but wait there’s more… after the show, Kim also took Taylor under her wing
and with a nod & a wave, Taylor got a complimentary stuffed panda. Which was then
autographed by a couple of the acrobats! And then… Kim also asked if we wanted to go
backstage to see some of the props, costumes and the large globe cage!!!  And after seeing
four motorcycles all driving around & flipping around inside the cage, it was very cool
to go inside… sans motorcycles!

But her evening wasn’t over yet… once she saw the huge Ferris Wheel on the Pier, it was somewhat inevitable that we would be going for a ride. So we were once again “hooked up” and hopped on the ride – slowly taking us up well above Navy Pier. With fantastic views of the city and lake all around us!

But the fun continued… as it was Wednesday night, which also means Fireworks!!!
Yep, every Wednesday & Saturday night we’re treated to fireworks over the lake!
And with that… her magical Claydate Playdate had come to an end…

I’m pretty confident she had a wonderful time.
Okay, except for the moment when she found out she was just an inch too short
for the flying swings ride!!! But that was “corrected” with a huge swirled lollipop
for the drive home!

So we’ve been seeing the huge white tents set up by the Chicago Tribune
Freedom Center for months. And finally got around to seeing the latest production
of “Peter Pan” tonight. It was a beautiful night in Chicago… and the show was a lot of fun.
The classic story by J.M Barrie has been brought to life on-stage in the round! With
Peter Pan leading the Lost Boys in their battle with Captain Hook and his crew. Not to
forget the Indian Princess Tiger Lily, the mermaids and the “ever-ticking” alligator!

With some enchanting puppetry and inventive sets, the primary focus of the production
is the stunning 360-degree projections all around the tent ceiling. Moving images that
surround the stage, and the audience, to create the scene… and make the actors truly look
like Peter, Tinkerbell, Wendy and the whole Darling clan fly through the sky!