August 4, 2008

Jon and Colleen began the day with the afore-mentioned (or actually, after-mentioned, since you're reading this blog in reverse order) free breakfast. The featured menu items were ham and eggs, but it was the biscuits that really stole the show, both today, and the days to come. Then it was off for a short walk (about three blocks) to meet our bus tour, "The Untouchables." The AAA book promised "tommy gun-toting gangsters who take passengers on a 2-hour bus tour of Chicago's Prohibition-era landmarks." Our tour guide, who introduced himself as "Big Jule" (which will give all you "Guys and Dolls" fans a chuckle,) and bus driver, "Shoulders," took us around all the sites of mob history, while also pointing out some other landmarks (the new Trump Tower and its "6 story comb-over"), which was good for us so we could figure out where things were and what was what when it came time to walk around. We learned about the feuds between the North Side-dwelling Irishmen and the South Side-dwelling Italians (Capone and the like) and who spilled blood where, how much spilled and who's in charge of the city now (Oprah). Other than being asked one time to many if we had seen the movie "The Untouchables" (very few had) the ride was very entertaining and I highly recommend.

Since it was sprinkling both before and right after our tour (it seemed to stop during) we decided to go the science museum, the Field Museum. We got there about 1 p.m. and the place was packed! While waiting we chatted with an engaged couple from Houston. It's a good thing we did, as we shared we were going to the Cubs game that night and they told us the game had been moved up from 7:05 to 6:05 for TV purposes. Had we not run into them, we would have showed up an hour late! You could pick up to three special exhibits. We picked the "Natural Disasters" one over the "Mythical Creatures" and "Underground Creatures" exhibits. It was a great choice - talked about the science behind earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and tornadoes with debris from Katrina and the tornado in Kansas last year.I think the exhibit on Sue, the most complete T-Rex skeleton though, was my favorite. The head is so heavy, they have it in a case and a fake one in the spot in the skeleton! We had thought we'd have 3 hours+ here, but with the long line and the game change, we ended up with just 2, which wasn't nearly enough. The AAA book recommends 4 and I would tend to agree - we didn't even get to the first floor or basement.

We got to Wrigley with plenty of spare thanks to our Houston friends.

Our seats were in the upper-most level, but under the overhang and we didn't have a blocked view of foul balls (like the second level). The odd thing was that as we were making our way up, ushers were asking for our tickets (but they weren't asking when we went right up to the field to get pictures! We later decided this was because the 3rd level had better seats! We were also amazed at all the seats available, seemingly from private outfits, at the surrounding homes around the field. The people to the right of us were from California and had also bought their tickets on Stub Hub. They found out about the game change when asking at the hotel how early they should leave. The people to the left were from Connecticut and didn't get there until 7:05 - they did NOT find out about the time change. Once we revealed where Jon was from, we got to hear all about the Red Sox and the Manny trade and Father's Day at Fenway. We even got an invitation to see "The Dark Knight" on IMAX at Navy Pier. Around 7:30 - 5 innings in - we started to see lightning in the distance. At 7:45, the skies opened up and the tarp came out. Shortly after that, the PA announcer told us to get under the concourses, but this seemed silly to us as we were covered, and part of the walkway was not. We were still hearing the story about getting to get on the field on Father's Day when a message came on the scoreboard that there was a severe weather alert. We decided we better head lower. That's when we heard: "Rheeee....." Like an air raid siren. It then proceeded to rain so hard you couldn't see the field (it was all white). We set up shop near the concession stand, under the overhang, but then got kicked out of there and went on the (sometimes open air) ramp. We then heard a commotion - a fan who ran onto the field before being surrounded. After that, Laurence Fishburne manned the field.

After a 2 1/2 hour rain delay, the game resumed, despite the fact with 5 complete innings in the books, it was a complete game, with about 5,000 of the original 40,000 fans remaining looking on. Shortly after the game started up again, it started to rain again, and we were still seeing lighting flashes every 30 seconds. After the end of the 8th inning, we were started to get in a position close to the exit when the sky once again opened up. This time they definitely weren't going to play again. We watched as people braved the elements with one man (dressed in a suit no less) telling God, "Just 5 seconds! All we need is 5 ... seconds!" Since the subway station was a block up and a block over, crossing over traffic, I don't know how 5-second man was planning to make it, but as soon as he made his plea, God answered with a resounding, "How about some more rain?" A few minutes later though, it did slacken up enough for us to feel confident darting across the street to the station. When we got home, we learned that there had been 3 tornadoes in Illinois and Indiana, and *79,000 lightning strikes in the area that night! And oh, yeah, the Cubs lost. Tour: A. Museum: Incomplete. Cubs' show: B-. Mother Nature's show: A+. 5-seconds man: Off the charts. -- POSTED BY COLLEEN